By Diamond Krirgger
At SUNY Plattsburgh, bringing animals into dorms and classrooms is surprisingly easy.
Service animals are task-trained for a specific disability or need, while emotional support animals provide comfort and emotional support without specific training.
The contrast between the two is very important, especially on the campus of SUNY Plattsburgh. ESAs don’t have the same rights as service animals, but the college allows them with the proper documentation. Service animals are allowed anywhere on campus, emotional support animals can’t leave a dorm room.
Student Cadey Wheat has her one mini-dachshund, Arlo, on campus, and said she got him as an emotional service animal at her previous college. The process was simple.
“The school sent me a couple of forms to complete, like a doctor’s note and vet documentation,” Wheat said.
She also stated that people do ask if Arlo is an ESA and about her process of getting him approved, but says she hasn’t received any skepticism or judgement.
”I think the hardest part about getting an ESA was figuring out what I was going to do with him when in class or when I had games,” Wheat said.
Wheat said she recommends having a well trained dog or animal before bringing them to college.
“Mine is very good with people and other animals. I would not have brought him if that wasn’t the case.” Wheat said.
Student Scarlet Raposo has her trained service dog, Bear, on campus.
“Bear is trained as a psychiatric service dog. He can sense when I’m about to have a panic attack and interrupts it before it gets overwhelming. On top of that, he has public access training and obedience, so he can behave appropriately in classrooms and other busy spaces,” Raposo said.
When it comes to the training and difficulty level between an ESA and Service animal, Raposo says her process in registering him as a service dog was simple.
“All I had to do was tell housing that I was training him to be a service animal and explain the specific tasks he’s trained for. This semester, housing even sent out a message to staff and CA’s letting them know I’m allowed to have him which has made things a lot easier.” Rasposo said.
Before this clarification from housing, she says things were more difficult for her and Bear.
“People often assume a small dog can’t be a service animal, or they confuse him with just being an ESA. Sometimes people even say he isn’t allowed in public spaces, which is frustrating,” Rasposo said.
Rasposo believes the current system at SUNY Plattsburgh is “pretty basic” at verifying Bear’s needs. It worked well for her, but she was unsure if it would fully cover other, more complex situations.
Oumy Niang is a student without a pet on campus and said she hasn’t noticed an increase in pets at Plattsburgh.
“I think the system leans a little more on the lenient side, but that’s probably better than being too strict. If it were overly strict, people who really need service animals may get denied help,” Niang said.
SUNY Plattsburgh should improve how it communicates with faculty staff and students about the differences between ESAs and service animals. This would protect those who need these animals and promote a respectful environment. Emotional Support Animals and Service Animals play an important role in mental health and disabilities on campus. As the presence of these animals grow, so should the policies.
