By any standard, Scooter, 22, is a world traveler. After spending his early years in Weston, Conn., he moved to Syracuse, N.Y., for college before settling in New York City. He has also traveled to Hawaii, Dubai, Ecuador, South Africa and Australia.
Nearly two years ago, he ventured to the Maldives, Singapore and South Korea, accompanying a couple on their honeymoon. He even slept in their bed.
Scooter is not a person. He is the beloved stuffed animal — a brown, 16-inch-long Beanie Babies dog — of my friend Jaclyn Roth, an entertainment journalist in New York.
“It’s nice knowing something safe is with me when I’m traveling overseas or to an unknown location,” said Ms. Roth, 33, of the toy she received on her 10th birthday. “It just helps me sleep better.”
Stuffed animals can help regulate their owners’ nervous systems and provide comfort, said Jaime Zuckerman, a clinical psychologist in Ardmore, Pa., who specializes in anxiety, depression and complex relationship dynamics. “If you have a dog and you meet somebody, it’s not like you get rid of the dog, right?” she said.
Ms. Roth said her husband is “very supportive” of Scooter. “He loves him like his own now,” she added. (Nevertheless, her husband declined to comment for this article.)
