Support Animals in Dorms

Notice more “support animals” on flights? Well, colleges are getting substantially more requests for support animals in dorms, too. The process requires a letter from a psychologist, which can be done as easily as paying $140 for a phone consult. These emotional support animals are permitted under the Fair Housing Act, so they are only allowed in the dorms, not outside the resident halls.

While it seems wonderful that students with mental health issues can take their comfort pets with them to college, I wonder how dorms will manage pets fighting, mating, or even killing another pet. Managing pet care requires patience and stability.  What happens when the student has back-to-back classes, and Rover wants to pee – or starts barking? Does inconveniencing other students in nearby rooms matter, and who will mediate the hours of negotiation between the students? Or what if a student is allergic to pets or deathly afraid of dogs or snakes?

When I was in college, we had one cat that visited dorms at will. Cat lovers fed her and enjoyed her company, while others just shooed her away. One cat among 350 students; that can be manageable.  Maybe colleges can have therapy dogs, cats, and rodents that students can visit as needed. Not sure how support animals in dorms will play out but hope it doesn’t negatively affect student admissions like learning disabilities do (trust me, colleges pay 4 times more to educate students with disabilities…).

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