It's 10 pm.
I still have at least another hour of homework left, and that's if I manage to remain productive in my sleepy stupor. Thoughts of failure and a rapidly dropping grade point average fill my mind. A sickening, heavy feeling permeates my chest, and my heart begins to pound. I'm paralyzed in my desk chair as I wait for the onset of an anxiety attack.
Chirp.
Thump.
My cat Bowie hops onto my desk and skulks toward me and my open laptop. As if to commence writing America's next greatest literary masterpiece, he tentatively places one white paw on a cluster of keys, then another and another. He sits and effectively blocks my screen. I reach out and scratch him behind his ear. He closes his eyes and the motor starts.
I pat my thigh, to which Bowie responds by descending from my desk and into my lap. He curls into a ball and continues to purr. I stroke his back, under his chin and his neck. In just five minutes, the clamor in my head and the drumming of my heart have significantly lowered.
Bowie lives with me in my dorm room at Whitworth University to help me regulate my anxiety, but he's not a service animal. He's an emotional support animal (ESA) who has been approved by my university.
As an ESA, Bowie does not have the same abilities as a service animal, which are outlined by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). For example, trained service animals are allowed in places where animals are otherwise prohibited, such as grocery stores and hospitals, while ESAs are not. That's because service animals are specially trained to help their owners, while ESAs provide comfort through their mere presence.
That being said, recent research demonstrates that pets, regardless of training, can assist their owners. A study by the National Library of Medicine found that cats are sensitive to and can differentiate human emotional cues, though to a lesser degree than dogs. Another study from the American Educational Research Association found that cortisol levels were significantly reduced in individuals who interacted with animals for just 10 minutes.
Considering these proven emotional benefits, it begs the question: Are all pets ESAs? The short answer is no.
Though anyone can benefit from owning a pet, it should not be conflated with an ESA. ESAs are allowed in university residence halls and (most) apartment buildings under the Fair Housing Act when an individual has a clear need for one.
To legitimize a pet for emotional support, a letter from a licensed health care professional must be obtained. In my case, this was my therapist. Once you've received the letter, take it to the appropriate housing services for next steps, which will be different for every institution. At Whitworth, I contacted the university's Emotional Support Services and did an intake interview with the program's director. She agreed that I had a need for an ESA, and in a matter of two weeks, Bowie was permitted to move into my room.
Other universities in the Inland Northwest follow a similar process. At Gonzaga University, ESA documentation must be filed with its Disability Resources, Education and Access Management office at least two weeks before housing selection. Eastern Washington University permits ESAs, which must be verified in advance by Disability Support Services. Approval is only valid for one academic year and must be renewed annually. For any student, getting permission for an ESA comes down to learning the systems in place at their university or housing facility.
The process for me was tedious, but having Bowie curl up in my lap to distract me from mountains of homework makes it all worthwhile. ♦
