The amount of college students who own pets has seemed to increase in recent years. College is a stressful time— but pets can help by offering mental and emotional support.

Many college students own what are called “emotional support animals.” The American Kennel Club states that, “to legally be considered an emotional support dog, also called an emotional support animal (ESA), the pet needs to be prescribed by a licensed mental health professional to a person with a disabling mental illness.”

Dogs are not the only animals that can be ESAs—any pet can be registered as one.

There are a wide variety of reasons a student might choose to register an animal as an emotional support animal. Rhyan Smith, a sophomore in psychology, detailed why she decided to get an ESA.

“I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in January and the mix of a new diagnosis and just general depression and anxiety made school and life really hard for me,” Smith said. “I knew that my pets at home helped when I needed them, but ISU is 3.5 hours from home, so going home to see them wasn’t plausible. So I decided to get a cat this year that is my own to help out.”

Natalie Jones, a junior in elementary education, talked about why she got a cat to help with anxiety.

“I decided to get an ESA over the summer. Being without an animal last year was really hard and I have always struggled with anxiety,” Jones said. “Last year I noticed it increased a lot. I always had pets growing up and being without something to snuggle and hold everyday was really hard.”

ESA’s can benefit people in different ways. Aaryn Graeve, a senior in meteorology, explained how her cat Jett helps her with therapy.

“I do trauma therapy and EDMR therapy,” Graeve said. “Through the use of repetitive, alternating movements, I can reduce anxiety levels. I use Jett pets as a primary method for this.”

Taylor Erlandson, a sophomore in animal science, talked about how her emotional support dog has helped her in more ways than one.

“Some of the benefits I have found from having an ESA is I get way more exercise and much more time outside this year,” Erlandson said. “Having a dog has also dramatically decreased my anxiety, especially when it comes to tests and studying. She helps remind me that I need to take breaks for myself too.”

The process of getting a pet registered as an ESA typically just requires a doctor’s recommendation. Kora Nagle, a senior in genetics, described her process when it came to registering her pet.

“It was actually really easy to get him registered,” Nagle said. “I paid a fee of about $100 online. I also got a note from my psychiatrist saying that an ESA would be beneficial to me and my mental health.”

Smith also described the simplicity of registering a pet as an ESA and how all it took was a doctor’s note.

“Honestly, everyone thinks you need to get some registration from someplace or a certification, but all you need is a doctor’s note,” Smith said. “I brought it up to my doctor during a checkup and she thought it would be good for me. She just said to message her when I needed the letter and I did. That’s all it took.”

An ESA might not be for everyone—but many find them to be helpful. Erlandson described why she recommends an ESA to anyone who could benefit from one.

“I absolutely would recommend an ESA to anyone who would adequately take care of it,” Erlandson said. “Whether it is a cat or a dog they bring so much comfort, happiness and overall better health.”

Smith also discussed why she recommends an ESA to anyone who is able to have one.

“As long as you have the ability to take care of an ESA, I would 1000 percent recommend getting one,” Smith said. “Even if you don’t want to or can’t get an ESA letter, I would still recommend getting a pet. They make life so much more fun and fulfilling, and are incredibly helpful when it comes to coping with the hard things in life.”