Aleah and her ESA Akira
Above is my friend Aleah, she has an Emotional Support Animal (from now on I will refer to them as an ESA) on campus (also pictured above). Akira is a 5 month old husky who loves to play, bones and best of all squeaky tennis balls. I had a 3 month guinea pig named Heidi (pictured in a short video below) unfortunately she was extremely unhappy on campus so I had to bring her home. The process to get an ESA on campus is an arduous one but very necessary for people such as my friend and I.
A lot of people meet Akira in the halls and say, “oh my gosh, you’re so lucky!” To this my opinion is yes they are fun to have, but they are here for a reason. ESA’s have blown up in the media recently due to various incidents with airline companies restricting what an ESA in flight can be.
To get an ESA on campus a person must contact the Center for Equal Access. They are an amazing and helpful resource for anyone on campus who needs a little extra help. Then proof of mental or physical illness is required by a therapist, counselor or trusted doctor. This is then put forth to the Access Committee who only meet twice a year, once in July and in late December to decide the approved animals for the next semester. This process is extremely thorough to make sure that a person actually needs an animal, what that animal will be, etc.
If you get approved, you and your roommate(s) have to meet with Shae Nehiba, the assistant director of Residential Life, to lay out the terms of what would happen in emergencies, where the animal will sleep, use the bathroom and much more. After all this is signed and done, Shae then sends out a mass email to the wing and floor you live on to check for any extreme allergies or concerns on the animal. After all this, you can bring the animal to campus.
Well worth the wait. They provide love and support in tough times. No, you can’t bring your pet to campus if you want to but if you need to and go through all the necessary steps above. Then maybe.