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Emotional Support Animals at College
Colleges and universities could use this information to make their schools more
ESA- (and possibly pet-) friendly by facilitating access to ESA-related supplies such as
food and cat litter. Bewley (2015) suggests that schools could designate specific areas
for animal bathing and grooming, provide separate laundry facilities for persons with
animals (service animal, ESA, or pets), create a dog park on campus, and establish
community partnerships with local veterinary services to facilitate easier access for
routine wellness checks and vaccinations. Campus counseling centers should consider
developing formal policies related to whether or not their staff are permitted to evaluate
students for the purposes of writing letters of diagnosis and/or documenting the
need for an ESA. Kogan and colleagues (2016) describe some of the issues around this
type of student request and provide guidelines for what to include in ESA support letters.
Finally, there is a need for more training, especially for faculty and staff, related to
federal and university policies governing service animals and ESAs (Goodman-Wilson
& Highfill, 2021).
Emotional support animals help students with disabilities to function. The mental,
social, and physical health benefits of having an ESA far outweighed the challenges for
our participants and helped them not only to function but also to thrive at school. As the
number of college students with mental health issues continues to grow, colleges and
universities could promote the retention and persistence of students with disabilities
through policies that facilitate having an ESA on campus, as well as providing opportunities
for other animal-assisted interventions and interactions. 
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102 The Journal of College and University Student Housing

https://doi.org/10.3200/JACH.57.5.545-548 https://doi.org/10.3200/JACH.57.5.545-548 https://doi.org/10.1080/87568225.2017.1299601 https://doi.org/10.1080/87568225.2017.1299601 https://doi.org/10.1080/07399330701615325 https://doi.org/10.1080/07399330701615325 https://www.acha.org/documents/ncha/NCHA-II_SPRING_2019_US_REFERENCE_GROUP_EXECUTIVE_SUMMARY.pdf https://www.acha.org/documents/ncha/NCHA-II_SPRING_2019_US_REFERENCE_GROUP_EXECUTIVE_SUMMARY.pdf https://www.acha.org/documents/ncha/NCHA-II_SPRING_2019_US_REFERENCE_GROUP_EXECUTIVE_SUMMARY.pdf https://www.acha.org/documents/ncha/NCHA-II_SPRING_2019_US_REFERENCE_GROUP_EXECUTIVE_SUMMARY.pdf

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