There are a lot of changes that happen in a person’s life when transitioning to college. School moves away from its rigid structure as there is a lot more choice involved, and students have to move on campus.
There is also stress that comes from school and other life responsibilities, and people cope in a variety of different ways. One way to help process the stress of life is through an emotional support animal. The difference between a service animal and an emotional support animal is explained by Jordan Blank, resident director: “These [service animals] go through a training program for a specific purpose, and are registered to serve that purpose. An ESA [emotional support animal] does not go through training or registry — though they are prescribed by a medical professional. This prescription often comes in the form of a letter that states that the individual has a qualifying mental health issue or psychiatric disability and that their animal companion is part of their treatment.”These differences might seem trivial, but from a legal standpoint, emotional support animals and service animals are not the same thing. Chandler Buchfeller, director of residence life and housing, explains this legal distinction by saying, “ESAs fall not under the ADA but rather the fair housing act.
That’s why on state college campuses, for example, they are allowed in students’ resident halls in their living space, but they’re not allowed in lobbies, or in classrooms, or the dining commons.” Buchfeller reports that there are 13 emotional support animals on campus.
Emma Campbell, a junior elementary ed, is the owner of a dog named Pomme, one of these ESAs. While Pomme is currently living with Campbell in the Octavio Romero Student Apartments, she is not the first animal she has had on campus. Campbell states, “I used to have a rabbit that would come to campus with me but the rabbit turned out to be not so nice. Well, she was nice initially and then she started biting everybody, so I though t yeah, you’re not being emotionally supportive anymore, let’s send you back to Wisconsin.”
Although there are dogs living in the apartments, they aren’t supposed to wander around the building by themselves. This raised some questions last week when a dog was found doing just that. “We played a little bit of detective trying to figure out whose dog it was. At this stage of the game, the Res life staff pretty well recognized most of the ESAs, especially the dogs since there’s so few of them. So it didn’t take long for us to realize ‘Yeah this isn’t an ESA,’” Buchfeller said. “It turned out that it was a community member’s animal that ended up getting into the building. A student had used the handicap access button which opens the door and walked in not realizing that a dog was following her.”
The dog was returned to its owner shortly after. Unexpected guest aside, emotional support animals hold a very important role on campus. Blank explains, “Fortunately, ESAs can help with that wellness concern, and are necessary to provide their students with the comfort and peace needed to succeed. Animals love unconditionally and seek social bonds with their people — what a blessing it is that we as a society have realized the benefits of those bonds and have even integrated them as part of treatment for mental health concerns.”
Campbell said, “She’s helped me get better at homework, and it’s mostly because I have to get up and let her outside to go to the bathroom. She gets me outside which is a big help with mental health already and she gives me lots of love and kisses.”
