Emotional support pets bring comfort, joy on campus — MUW Spectator

“I have someone to come back to,” Hall said. “When I reach my floor through the

elevator, I can hear him meowing for me, and we talk to each other about our day.”

The species that live on campus vary, and there is no limit to the species allowed. Some

students may own cats, dogs, fish, chameleons, hamsters or reptiles. Whichever pet works best

for the student and their on-campus life is open to being approved.

Eden Cartwright, a Music Therapy major, lives with her sugar glider Siren, who she

registered as an emotional support animal this semester. Cartwright says that Siren helps her

disconnect and work through her interactions with others, which she hopes other students can

experience.

“I hope that more students who need an emotional support animal are able to get one.

They are very impactful,” Cartwright said.

Pets on campus may be big or small, low maintenance or high maintenance, high energy

or low energy — as long as the student and pet are happy and healthy, it is allowed.

Caden Brothers, an Elementary Education major, has a Koi fish and a goldfish named

Pookie and CoCo. While the fish offer comfort, Brothers also likes that they are easy to take care of and fun to watch.

“My fish are calming. They offer a buffer between myself and everyone else,” Brothers

said. “The upside is that I did not have to register my fish as emotional support animals. The

aquarium they are held in is more than five gallons, but fish are low maintenance animals who

offer a great deal of entertainment.”

The W’s Student Success Center offers an online request for owning an emotional

support animal on campus. The request form can be found at muw.edu/ssc/accessibility/esa/. If you have any questions or concerns about your application, you can email the Student Success Center at ssc@muw.edu.