Dogs On Campus! 

Here at St. Thomas University, students with emotional support animals are fortunate enough to receive accommodations in the Windsor Street Residences, and are often prioritized over students without disability animals.

Emotional support animals are prescribed to help people who suffer from anxiety, depression, and other forms of mental health problems.

It actually really helps, I know that it would be a whole lot harder for me to live without my ESA. You should only live with an ESA if you really need it and not if you just want to keep living with your dog.” Natalia Lanza

ESAs can be a dog or a cat; however, there is no formal way of registering your animal in Canada. In fact, the process is quite unclear.

Most students have to go through a third-party in order to have their animal registered as emotional support, or to have an animal assigned to them. Here at St. Thomas, students who are approved for ESAs must sign a contract that outlines the expectations of the student, including but not limited to: picking up after your animal, keeping your animal in your room when you are not home, and never leaving your animal unattended overnight or for extended periods of time.

There are a lot of clear benefits, however, to having an ESA in residence; for the student who requires the ESA and even for the other students living in the house.

Living in the ESA house in not an experience a lot of people have. Even though they’re not mine, they still comfort me and it’s a very homey atmosphere and very calming.” Andrea Stuart.

Of course, with every pro there is a con. In most circumstances, the cons have to do with animals being loud, messy, or aggressive, and it is of utmost importance that the ESA is the students first priority.

The hardest part? The time that you need to put into them. It’s time that you could be using to study, but you need to take care of them, and you need to give them attention” Andrea Stuart

One crucial aspect of having an ESA on campus is ensuring that your animal is spayed or neutered. For some students this comes with unforseen costs, with some procedures costing upwards of $500. However, the added benefits to having an ESA override the trials and tribulations of getting the pet registered. These benefits include: having any pet fees waived wherever you live, being protected under federal law (meaning that no landlord can turn you and your ESA away), and being able to take your ESA with you when you go into public places.

Unfortunately, because the process of registering an ESA is not clear-cut, it is recommended that students invest in “Working Dog” vests which are available online. Although it isn’t mandatory, it will save students time from having to bring their ESA’s paperwork with them to every establishment they visit.

Overall, the benefits of having emotional support outweighs the cons, and anyone who has an ESA would recommend the option to anyone who struggles with mental health.