Talking, laughing and the occasional early morning fire alarm are sounds found in a WKU residence hall. But what about a bark? A meow? Or even a squeak?
Animals of all kinds are making their home in residence halls and apartments around campus as students’ emotional support animals (ESA).
According to ADA.gov, ESAs are not protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. ADA describes ESAs as animals without specialized training that provide emotional comfort to their caretaker. ESAs are brought by their owners and can be kept in dorms if approved by WKU Housing & Residence Life and the Student Accessibility Resource Center.
Brooklyn Mayhugh, a freshman criminology and sociology major, lives in a dorm with an emotional support cat named Tessa. Tessa helps Mayhugh regulate her anxiety and stress while on campus.
“I’ve had anxiety since I was a kid,” said Mayhugh.
As Mayhugh’s anxiety reached its peak in middle and high school, a stray cat in need of a home appeared. After taking in the small, blue-eyed tabby, Mayhugh said her doctor noticed her mood shift positively. With her doctor’s recommendation, Mayhugh was approved to have the feline, Tessa, listed as an ESA.
Tessa has since helped Mayhugh acclimate to college life with minimal stress. Mayhugh said the physical comfort and companionship of Tessa helps her the most.
“She’s also very emotionally aware, so if I am ever upset or, visibly not okay, she tends to stay very close to me and it helps a lot,” Mayhugh said.
Mayhugh said Tessa has also positively impacted her roommate and other people within the residence hall.
“If my roommate is ever here and I’m not here, and she’s struggling, Tessa will go to her and try to comfort her, which I think is really sweet,” Mayhugh said.
WKU’s official ESA policy states an ESA is only recommended if there is proof of the animal’s ability to significantly lower stress. Students with ESAs often provide proof in the form of a note from their mental health specialist.
Adri Lutz, a sophomore psychology major, met with a counselor and considered an ESA for several years before having one approved for her dorm. Once it was determined that an ESA would be the best option, she began searching for her furry friend.
“I’ve tried medicine to mitigate those issues, and medicine didn’t work,” Lutz said. “Being able to use another option such as the ESA was very valuable for me and my counselor.”
After deciding to find an ESA, Lutz researched breeds and met different dogs to find a suitable fit. Lutz landed on a bernedoodle for their protective and affectionate personality and hypoallergenic nature.
Lutz eventually found Bumi, a 10-month-old fluff ball of energy. Over the summer, Lutz trained Bumi for dorm life.
Lutz said Bumi is an important asset to her because he can provide around-the-clock companionship.
“I wanted to try it (an ESA) because not everyone can be with you 24/7, especially when you have anxiety and stuff that wakes you up in the middle of the night,” Lutz said.
Lutz said she has anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. She continued that the added stress of college can make it hard to manage both disorders, but having Bumi gives her the extra support she needs.
“Having Bumi around has really upgraded my quality of life,” she said.
Lutz, a Resident Assistant, said Bumi has become a great asset to her whole floor. “He’s part of not just my family now but also in my community, and it’s really helpful to have him around,” Lutz said.
Unlike Mayhugh and Lutz, Miles Calvert, a senior history major, found his companionship in four unlikely ESAs: his emotional support rats Caboose, Padme, Push-pop and Schemmer.
Calvert admitted his rats have been met with negativity. Calvert said he believes the negativity toward his ESAs comes from a larger stigma around mental health.
“People just saying, ‘The kids these days are sensitive,’ and I don’t know really where it would come from, but I think a lot of it is misinterpretation and misunderstanding on how some mental health is,” Calvert said.
Calvert insisted that negativity was not the norm, however. He said his rats help break the ice leading to more social interactions – something ultimately good for his mental health.
“I can invite people over and be like, ‘Hey, do you want to look at my rats,’ which sounds silly, but it does help sometimes,” Calvert said.
Calvert has PTSD and bipolar disorder. He explained that these mental health issues cause a lot of struggle in his life.
“I have a lot of trauma, like flashbacks and just a lot of bad days where everything feels terrible and the world is burning,” Calvert said.
Calvert said he’s worked with a therapist over multiple years. Together Calvert and his therapist assessed if ESAs were right for his situation.
Calvert’s therapist saw the possibility of a constructive outcome. Calvert’s therapist wrote a letter recommending Calvert be able to live with his rats.
Along with his therapist’s letter, Calvert provided WKU Housing & Residence Life and the Student Accessibility Resource Center with paperwork from a veterinarian proving the rats were healthy.
“With rats, they don’t need vaccination so as long as it says they’re healthy then you can bring them,” Calvert said.
Calvert has lived with rats for the past four years and says their role in his life has positively impacted his mental health.
He said the rats help ground him whenever spirals into negative thinking. “It gives me something to focus on sensory-wise and helps pull me back to the real world,” Calvert said.
Some days it can be hard to get out of bed, Calvert said, but his rats give him a reason to. He explained that the rats need his care, and he can only properly care for them when he cares for himself.
News Reporter Anthony Clauson can be reached at anthony.clauson994@topper.wku.edu.
