On Wayne State’s campus, numerous students have emotional support animals, or ESA’s, to help improve their mental health and their overall well-being.  

“[Having an ESA] has helped me recharge because of my terrible social anxiety, and she helps me keep my emotions in check and just be happier in general,” WSC student Joslynn Schnell said.  

The process of getting an ESA approved to live on campus can be tedious, but WSC student Destiny Krenkel said the task went smoothly for her.  

“I registered him as an emotional support animal through the college, and then I went to the police station and registered my cat as an emotional support animal within the city of Wayne,” Krenkel said.  

There are a few rules students must follow when it comes to having an ESA in the residence halls to protect the safety of others.  

 “Any ESAs on campus would need to have a crate or a cage, something to put them in,” Schnell said. “Every time you’re not in the room, they have to be put into the cage for safety reasons. For example, if maintenance comes in, or if there’s an emergency, they can quickly go in there, see the cage and get them out.” 

For students living on campus, dorm life with an ESA can be challenging given the size of the rooms, but students try their best to work with what they are given.  

“We have an outdoor cat complex in my room that is about as big as the bed when it’s lofted,” Krenkel said. “It’s pretty big so he has room to walk around and climb around, he’s got food and water in there. The complex has two doors, a bottom door and a top door so he can easily get in and out when I’m there.” 

The benefits outweigh the negatives for Krenkel in terms of having an ESA in her dorm including the responsibilities that come with taking care of an animal. 

“It’s definitely nice as long as you are keeping track of your animal, such as making sure you know where they are at all times,” she said. “You also have to make sure the litter box is clean too, I have been doing it every other day just to get in the habit of cleaning it out.” 

ESAs on campus at WSC have ultimately improved student’s mental health significantly throughout this fall semester, as well as their overall happiness.