USSDR Blog Banner

West Virginia University has 24 Service and Emotional Support Animals This Semester

West Virginia University has 24 Service and Emotional Support Animals This Semester

Anup No Comments November 4, 2022
blog title

Students aren’t the only ones living on campus this semester. Twenty-four service, therapy and emotional support animals are staged in dorms across WVU’s campuses.

These support and service animals can range from dogs to miniature horses.

Although each animal offers support in its own way, there are many differences between service and emotional support animals.

Service animals help people with physical disabilities, while emotional support and therapy animals provide people with mental health and psychological support.

WVU provides students with the opportunity to have these types of animals in the dorms, but it isn’t easy to get one. The school restricts pets in every form possible on campus, and in order to get a service animal, one must contact the school and apply for it and have an emotional support animal letter for ESA’s.

“A student can’t just bring any random pet that they choose when they move in. Freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, doesn’t matter who,” said Chris MacDonald, executive director of university housing. “So, we do not allow pets. We do allow service animals and emotional support animals.”

The University has multiple guidelines if a student has an animal living with them in a dorm. Emotional support animals are not allowed in any other university buildings, but service animals are permitted anywhere on campus as well as therapy animals.

Through all the requirements to have a service, therapy or emotional support animal living on campus, WVU works to make sure that help is there for the students who need it. Some colleges and schools within WVU have therapy dogs to help students, such as the Reed College of Media’s Omega and the Davis College of Agriculture’s Ryder.

“The best thing is going to get the service and the support that they need in order to be successful navigating, whether it be in the residence halls or the rest of campus,” MacDonald said. “That’s the best thing that they have, a great relationship with your animal, the animal does exactly what it needs them to do, whether that be in service to help them with, you know, an illness or some other issue that would likely inhibit them from actively engaging in our community and being successful on campus.”

While an animal is in a dorm, they must be under complete control of the owner at all times, not be a threat to people or property, secured to a leash at all times and not to be left unattended. Any violation to the campus guidelines can result in removal of the animal.

Although having animals in the dorms can help students, the university keeps a close eye on the downfalls of them. Emotional support animals are typically not as highly trained as service animals, therefore, sometimes it’s harder for emotional support animals to navigate their way through living in a community environment.

MacDonald said his only worry of having emotional support animals in the dorm is issues with the community, but the housing department works well with the students and maintains their animals so issues like these never occur.

“They don’t necessarily, at times, navigate a community living environment very well, and so I always believe the thing I ever worried about is if there were to be challenges in the community or living space with an emotional support animal,” said MacDonald

In order for a student to have an animal on campus residence, they must contact WVU and work with them through getting the best animal that fits their needs but also fitting all the criteria for being able to have an animal in a dorm.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Preloader
X
SERVICE DOG ID CARD USA Service Animal Registration Your Service Dog ID card will include our convenient QR Code for a quick scan link to our registry lookup. By simply entering your dog\'s registration number your official registered profile will be accessible for quick verification in the event the validity of your service dog is ever questioned. 2054
$29.99
Product Image
5 12634
- by , March 25, 2011
1/ 1stars
Horrible. My letter wasn't accepted and I am forced to live somewhere else now. Never again.
Great experience - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Overall easy to purchase and register.
One more step - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
I will be satisfied when I get a fax number to send my apartment complex paperwork to be filled out
Did not receive order - by , March 25, 2011
1/ 1stars
I made a purchase on 3/9/2023 and it is now 3/23/2023 and I have yet to receive my package in the mail. I also can not get ahold of anyone at the company to check on my order.
Very thin - by , March 25, 2011
3/ 3stars
The vest is thin, not sure how long it will hold up. Love the cards tho they are nice and help show registration
Housing Letter - by , March 25, 2011
3/ 3stars
Well, they did email my letter, although my understanding was to also send a hardcopy in the mail. I never received this. I paid serious money, with a budget of disability so no choice but to send this disgruntled review
Dog tags - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Great I love how fast you receive service
- by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
I did not see a place to unload my photo
Great Customer Service - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Excellent and gentle people. Caring and Loving Staff
amazing great nice perfect - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Perfect service awesome experience
Teronica - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
It was nothing less than amazing. Very sweet therapist , very kind & understanding
Excellent Service - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
You were very helpful as I worked on the registration and determined what to order. Thank you very much to Carolyn and Lori for their email and phone assistance.
Great experiences - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
The vest is very lightweight and fits my dog perfectly. Thank you for helping in this process
Exceptional Service - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Great, thorough
Great Customer Service - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Great customer service. expedient process, easy to access resources
USA Service Dog Registration - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
USA SDR ia a wonderful company. They're quick to respond and make purchases easy, quick . The instructions and explanation are to the letter. This is the third time I have used them. If in the future I need a new dog registered I will only use them.
Easy to complete - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Great ! This site made it so easy to complete
UsA Service Dog Registration - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
What a great experience. Everything was straight forward and easy to use. Got my card within 3 days of ordering
Order Correction - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
I made a mistake and ordered the Deluxe ESA package and included the letter I didn't need. With a Very quickly returned - Super friendly, helpful and Honest phone call, the matter was resolved and my order was edited and will be out to me ASAP. Please thank her for me on behalf of me and my partner Blue! The speed of everything was great, but the Kindness of my agent- I can't remember her name! - was Unreal.
- by , March 25, 2011
1/ 1stars
Good have not. Received card yet