James EggersSt. Louis, MO (KSDK) - A TV crew from Animal Planet follows James Eggers through his daily routine. And it's all because of what's in his backpack - a parrot named "Sadie."
"She can do what a dog can't," Eggers said.
Eggers and Sadie rarely spend time apart.
"Oh, we're a lot better together," he said.
Eggers, who is sharing his story with Animal Planet, said he has bipolar disorder with psychotic tendencies.
"When I get stressed out or have anxiety attacks, I become extremely dangerous and unpredictable."
But carrying Sadie around, whether it's on the Metrolink or in a restaurant, means she's there when he needs her.
"Sadie helps keep my mood swings to an even keel," he said. "And that's talk me through an anxiety attack, mood swings, she can imitate a ringing phone or when someone's at the door and stuff like that."
After purchasing her as a pet seven years ago, he realized she was much more than that. Eggers said he trained Sadie to help him with his mental disability and considers her a service animal, which, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, would allow him to bring her into public places.
But this past March, the Department of Justice tightened up the law, defining a service animal as "any dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of someone with a disability." The law goes on to say any other species of animals, with the exception of miniature horses, are not service animals.
But Eggers said he won't be giving up Sadie anytime soon. And shares the following message with us and hopes Animal Planet will spread the word.
"Let's get the laws changed," he said.
James said the TV crew will be here filming his daily life for the next couple of days. And the story should air on Animal Planet later this year.