My daughter got an emotional support animal before she went to college.

She graduated from high school in the middle of the pandemic, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to make it through college, but she found out that if she had an emotional support animal, she could have it with her in the dorm.

She spoke to her doctor, got the forms, and we found a guinea pig at a shelter.

Normally a guinea pig needs other guinea pigs around to be healthy and safe. Her guinea pig was surrendered from a home that had 30 guinea pigs and he was severely abused by his siblings. His ears were torn, and he’s got scars on his belly. He didn’t tolerate the presence of other guinea pigs.

There was a day before she left for college when my daughter was depressed and just spending all day in bed. I pointed out to her that she was responsible for the guinea pig. She could be depressed, and unmotivated, but she had to clean his pen every day, feed him, and take care of him.

It worked. She graduated in January. He’s her emotional support animal, and she’s his emotional support human. She’s his herd, so she has to keep him company. Obviously, there’s more going on there, but I’m just taking about the emotional support animal.

He’s actually gotten better too. He still doesn’t live with other guinea pigs, but he doesn’t run away if he hears them anymore.

The only legal benefit to having an emotional support animal that I’m aware of in the U.S. is you can’t be denied housing.