“Pawsitive vibes”: Emotional Support Animals offer a soothing presence in a stressful world
By Katelyn Lindsey, Ellie Boggs and Owen Meacham
College life can be a rollercoaster of emotions, but many students at Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio, have found a source of companionship and comfort with emotional support animals (ESAs). These furry or scaly friends, ranging from cats and dogs to the occasional reptile, play an essential role in supporting many students' mental and emotional wellness on campus and across the country.
COVID-19 and an uptick in Emotional Support Animals
Emotional support animals go beyond your traditional pet. According to the American Kennel Club’s website, emotional support animals are specifically trained to help an individual cope and alleviate symptoms of stress and anxiety. Emotional support animals also differ from service animals. An emotional support animal serves as a source of comfort and offers companionship for an individual. In contrast, a service animal is trained to do a specific task for an individual with a disability. Emotional support animals also differ from therapy animals. Therapy animals are trained to aid in a setting, such as a hospital or school, instead of working with a specific owner.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rise in emotional support animals across campuses nationwide, and Muskingum University is no exception, according to director of Student Accessibility Services, Lindsay Carr.
“We have seen definitely an uptick since COVID, so as students have really indicated a need for more of that emotional peace,” Carr said. “We know that during COVID we saw a lot of individuals as they were being contained in housing situations. Reached out for pets and emotional support.”
Emotional Support Animals at Muskingum
Many students at Muskingum have found success with emotional support animals. If you walk through any dorm, you can hear the cheerful barking of dogs. You might even see the occasional cat on a leash walking on the quad. There have been many positive transformations seen by students who have brought this type of companionship into their lives. One of them is third-year student Rebekah Nolette, whose emotional support cat, Biscuits, is a lively addition to the colorful Finney Hall dormitory.
Rebekah Nolette with emotional support cat Biscuits / Photo provided by Colette
Nolette is from Pataskala, Ohio, and is majoring in sociology and child and family studies. They are also minoring in psychology and pre-social work. Nolette maintains an active status on campus by working three on-campus jobs as a resident assistant for Finney Hall, a library student worker, and a peer mentor for the PLUS program.
Biscuits fell onto Nolette’s lap last semester when they decided to get an emotional support animal. Biscuits, a playful calico kitten who is always the center of attention, dragged out all of her toys during the interview. We asked Nolette how Biscuits assists them in managing their mental health.
Nolette said that even if they are having the worst day, Biscuits can cheer them up simply by providing a welcome distraction.
“Even if I'm not feeling happier, I'm not focusing on the negative. I'm able to kind of like pull myself out of that,” Nolette said.
Raylee Whited, a sophomore majoring in pre-med and biology with minors in psychology and communication studies, also finds her ESA, a pit bull mix named Leo, a healthy distraction in her otherwise stressful college life.
Raylee Whited with her ESA, Leo / Photo provided by Whited
Whited is from Parkersburg, West Virginia, and is a member of the Muskingum Programming Board. She has always wanted a dog of her own to help her manage her anxiety and finally got Leo in 2021. She believes that Leo has helped her manage her anxiety in college with the special bond they share.
“He makes me laugh so much,” Whited said “My roommate and I like to make up voices and pretend it’s what Leo could say if he could talk, and it’s so entertaining to us. He lets me cuddle him when I’m feeling sad or lonely, and he’s such a happy animal that it’s contagious.”
Reflection on what Muskingum University could offer to improve the experience of owning—or to those students considering owning—an emotional support animal, Whited said more general resources would be helpful.
“I think it would be helpful if the school provided a list of animal training services and/or cat cafes in the area,” Whited said. “It would also be helpful if they provided a link to Ohio leash laws, as those of us from out-of-state may not be familiar with the area and laws surrounding animals.”
When Whited first got Leo, she was worried about how people would react to Leo being a pit bull mix because of the negative connotation surrounding pit bulls. Luckily, she has not experienced any negative reactions to her dog on campus.
“Pause for Paws”: Bringing ESAs, therapy dogs and service dogs to campus
On Nov. 14, the university hosted its annual event, Pause for Paws. This event drew a crowd of students—some who stopped to watch, while others took the time to pet and play with the animals. The dogs at the event ranged from therapy dogs and emotional support dogs to service dogs.
Muskingum students at the Pause for Pause event / Photo by Ellie Boggs
Each dog had tricks to share, but the best service they performed was the love they gave and received from students. The counseling services organized and hosted the event to shed light on mental health, timed with the week of finals quickly approaching. Having a few furry friends to help break the week up is exactly what Muskingum students needed.
The Pause for Paws event offers an alternative to students who wish to relieve stress with a furry friend if they do not have an emotional support animal themselves. This is one of the ways that Muskingum University implements the concept of emotional support animals for a campus event.
