When Julia Hanley first adopted her cat Griswold, she had no idea how much he was going to impact her life. She adopted him in December 2020. It was at the end of a challenging year. In late 2019, before her freshman year of college, Hanley was perfectly healthy. But then she was diagnosed with gastrointestinal issues that caused challenges in her daily life. And during her first semester of college, she developed extreme anxiety over social situations. So much so that she ended up moving out of the dormitories before her second semester of freshman year.
“I was constantly sick,” Hanley said. “I eventually went on a medication that made me feel great in November of 2020, and I got most of my life back. However, I still had anxiety that causes impairments in my daily life, so I ended up talking to my parents about getting a cat before I went back to school and they agreed.”
Enter Griswold. He’s a moggie cat, a mix of many different breeds. With a white belly, gray back, and huge golden eyes, he quickly became one of her best friends. Hanley adopted him at three years old from a shelter in her hometown of Hinsdale, Illinois. He stayed with her at home as just a regular cat for four months, until moving in with her at school in January 2021. This is where Griswold helps calm her anxiety from the comfort of their own home.
Hanley is now a sophomore majoring in Speech Pathology and Audiology at Marquette University in Milwaukee. Griswold has been her official Emotional Support Animal (ESA) for over a year.
Hanley believes her life has been significantly better since adopting Griswold. “He reduced my anxiety and gave me an emotional outlet, so to speak,” she said. “It also boosts my mood to just have this little dude following me around all the time. I am fully responsible for everything for him, such as his medical bills, food, litter, toys, etc, and having something to take care of took my mind off my own anxiety.”
Hanley isn’t alone in her struggle or in the comfort she gets from her ESA.
Data
In fact, according to data found by the Mayo Clinic in September of 2021, “Up to 44% of college students reported having symptoms of depression and anxiety.” These numbers just seem to keep going up, especially with college students adjusting to a new Covid-19 world.
According to a study done by The Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State, 72% of their 43,098 students surveyed reported that their mental health was negatively impacted by Covid-19.
While there is no hard data on the number of ESA’s on campuses supporting these individuals, it makes sense why students are turning to live-in pets, whether in their apartments or even dorm rooms, to help them through the difficulties of college.
This is exactly what Griswold is doing for Hanley. Griswold, who is now five years old, brings support for Hanley’s mental health and brings her comfort when she needs it. He was certified as Hanley’s ESA after she moved into her apartment from her dorm room. While animals are allowed in the apartment complex, she felt that having him certified would just make it easier in apartment life.
“I had him certified in April 2021,” Hanley said. “Because of this, he wouldn’t be seen as a regular pet but instead a required necessity for me. My therapist stores a letter saying I could have him due to anxiety and other issues to get him certified.”
By having a pet as a registered emotional support animal, owners are not required to pay fees or be questioned on the purpose of their ESA. These rights are protected by the Fair Housing Act of 1988. It says that Emotional Support Animals are recognized as a type of assistance animal and are a reasonable accommodation. This allows for Hanley and others with ESAs, to not be discriminated against for their needs.
The Fair Housing Act also applies to universities around the nation, allowing students to get their accommodations if needed. Here in central Iowa, schools have very similar policies but have guidelines surrounding ESA’s. Take Iowa State University for example.
Schools Policies
According to Iowa State’s Animals on Campus Policy that went into effect on August 1st, 2021 students who have ESA are only allowed to keep them in their residence halls. ESAs are not allowed in any other building on campus. To get a registered ESA, students also have to complete multiple forms with the university.
About an hour away at Grinnell College, these policies look very similar. Their Assistance and Service Animal Policy, which was updated in June 2020, states that students must contact the Student Disability Coordinator roughly two months before the start of the school year to begin the process of applying for an ESA. For the animal to be approved, the request form and other necessary documents will be voted on by the Assistance Animal Review committee, which will come to “the decision regarding if the animal is a necessary accommodation as the result of a disability.”
Drake University, their policy is very similar to both Iowa State University and Grinnell College. Their Service and Assistance Animals, Animal Mascots, and Pets Policy, which was last edited in 2015, says that ESA’s are not allowed in academic areas. They are only allowed in the student dormitory as well as around campus if they are leashed.
Jaylah Hyduke, a first-year student studying Law, Politics, and Society at Drake found the process of bringing her ESA into the resident halls to be pretty easy. She said all it took was speaking to Disability Services about her needs and getting her roommate’s permission.
Her ESA, a five-year-old American Shorthair cat named Loki, helps relieve her anxiety after long days of classes. When he is not chasing balls around the room or attempting to knock over items on her roommate’s desk, he can be found in Hydukes bed, snuggling into her side.
“Having Loki has really helped this last semester easier,” Hyduke said. “My closest family is an hour and a half away, and having him there gave me a sense of familiarity that I needed to make college bearable. I’m really happy he is here.”
