This is the first year Blackburn College has allowed emotional support animals to live in the residence halls. Although there is no doubt that these animals will help some students, there have been mixed reactions to their presence. Some students, such as cat-enthusiast Ally Fowler, like having them because they remind her of her pets back home, but others aren’t as open to having them here, such as Kelcie Woodring who is allergic to cats.
According to the Student Handbook, there are regulations and guidelines that all students must adhere to before they have an actual service or support animal on campus. These guidelines include having the pet be a service animal for a student that is disabled and needs physical help. The student handbook also explains that having “[a]n emotional support/therapy/assistance animal may provide physical assistance, emotional support, calming, stability, and other kinds of support that gives a college resident with a mental or psychiatric disability an equal opportunity.”
According to Interim Vice President and Dean of Students Abbey Hardin, Blackburn has always allowed service animals in residence halls, but emotional support animals are new due to “state, federal and local laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Fair Housing Act.”
However, students such as Woodring and freshman Isabelle Powell, who both live on a floor with an emotional support animal, have difficulties with these animals because they’re allergic to them. In response to these students’ issues, Hardin said, “Our policy is that if we have either a service animal or support animal on a floor in a residence hall, our campus counselor, Tim Morenz, sends out a notification to all of the students living on that floor.” She added, “It … goes on to outline that if you have anything like allergies or a fear of dogs or anything like that then you need to notify Student Life to receive allocations for those needs.”
The emotional support animal Spencer living on campus