A new opportunity on Winthrop’s campus is the allowance of Emotional Support Animals or ESAs. These animals could be a dog or cat and must be there to provide support of your daily routine. These animals also differ from a Service Animal. ESAs are not certified to do anything special but be there to comfort you in times of need. In the Fall of 2016, I had the pleasure of living with an ESA, Cece. She is a Boxer/Pug mix who held a very special place in my heart. She was there when I had the sniffles or when my fish died.
For any of those who have a pet, especially a dog, coming home to the excitement and love made any bad day better. Loads of puppy kisses and laughter as she played with her multiple toys, sometimes at once, was the best thing after each day of school! Along with the fun of an animal in a dorm room comes responsibility. Keeping the atmosphere fun and light with her but quiet was a challenge. Getting up early in the morning and taking her out to use the bathroom was always a kicker. There was no avoiding this task and no sleeping in.
Taking care of another life besides your own was the most difficult part in my opinion. You know those days where you just roll out of bed, skip breakfast and go to class? That doesn’t happen. You’ve got another mouth to feed and it knows how to talk back. The following semester I got my own emotional support animal. Her name is Stella and she is a Beagle/Rottweiler mix. I could not love my fur baby more. My heart is so full because of her. I have learned to be more patient and acceptable of sudden changes. The third day of having her I learned that she had Heartworm disease, or foot long worms wrapped around her heart preventing her from breathing and pumping blood as usual. My heart was broken. This was about to be a very long journey for the both of us.
Months later, she is active and a fur ball of energy. She loves people and her food. We go back in December for the last check-up to see if they are gone. Cross your fingers, everyone! For those of you reading this whom might have met her, you know how sweet she is and how she even brightens your day. Her awkward long chunky body makes anyone smile, especially when she is wearing her rain coat! I am not very shy about my mental illness as it makes me no more or less special than anyone else, it’s called uniqueness. I have anxiety and depression and thank goodness to the animals in my heart or I would not have made it through my junior year. They really find a way to relieve your stress. Stella would get me really worked up by a mess and I would overload from stress and then I would be so much better. She is always there to lick my face of tears or hog my bed all night.
