I’m starting college soon, and one thing I’ve been stressing about is leaving my dog Bella at home. I’ve been dealing with depression, and having her around has become a big part of my everyday life. She keeps me company when I’m feeling low, and I feel much better having her by my side.
Since I’ll be staying in a dorm, I’m not sure if I can bring her with me or what rules my college has for emotional support animals. I didn’t want to wait until the last minute, so I started looking into the requirements.
During my search, I found My ESA Therapist and learned that I would need an actual evaluation by a licensed mental health professional rather than just an online registration or certificate. I decided to schedule a consultation to discuss my situation and understand whether I might qualify for an ESA letter.
I haven’t spoken with my college about the accommodation yet, but at least I have a better idea of where to start. I really hope I can have Bella with me while adjusting to college life.
Has anyone else taken their ESA dog with them when moving into a college dorm? How did it work out?
You need to think about this very carefully. And you will absolutely need to work with the disabilities office at your college of choice. Things to think about:
Some folks are allergic to or afraid of or dislike dogs. So you likely will need to request a single room.
Your classes schedule will likely mean that Bella needs to spend a lot of time alone in your room…without barking or otherwise disturbing others.
At some colleges, ESA are not permitted in classrooms at all (because there are more people who can’t be around dogs for one reason or another).
Some colleges will permit service animals, but not ESA.
You don’t say how far your home is from your potential colleges, but if a plane ride away, ESA are not permitted in the plane cabin any longer…only service animals.
A few years ago, there was another poster on this forum with the same question. She realized that taking an ESA dog to college was not in the best interest of the dog…and chose a college close enough to home that weekend or even evening (if needed) visits could happen. Is this an option for you?
YMMV with regard to how colleges deal with this. So contact the colleges of interest. IMHO the disability office is the place to get the info you need…and contact student housing as well. Both should be able to help you.
It is possible, but you’ll need to be seeing a therapist and get documentation from the therapist. The dog will be alone in the room a lot, but also if friendly with strangers, will become the freshman floor pet. You’ll have to commit to being back at your room to walk the dog thrice daily, including the early morning and late evening walk - might limit your late night social life or sleeping in. And if the dog barks when left alone, or is skittish around strangers, not a great idea. But overall, if you can meet the dog’s needs, and the dog is older, fine with sleeping a lot, then it can be done.
One thing that some people don’t factor in to the dog’s quality of life is fire drills. In my daughter’s dorm they happened often and she was always concerned for the animals that were in people’s rooms having to stay in there through the entire drill because their owners were in class or otherwise away from the dorm. If your dog would freak out with that type of noise/situation, know that it’s a very real possibility.