There are legitimate needs for emotional support animals...
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Are there? 25 years ago - there was no need.
What’s changed? Why the need now?
I think what has changed is these kids haven’t developed their coping strategies for anxiety because society thinks anxiety is bad. Kids are raised in a cocoon of emotional support and taught that any strong emotions are bad. They have taken away grades, competition, winners and losers situations, game scoring and more, all to avoid anxiety, among other things.
25 years ago, just like today, there were people who were intensely attached to their pets. Maybe there wasn’t a diagnosis and a label, but certainly family members would know the pet was essential to someone.
I should clarify in that the ones I’d consider “emotional support” would possibly fall under a service animal definition, not someone that’s bored and just needs a cuddle.