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Service Dogs for Dealing with Anxiety & Stress?

Written By: Ryan Gaughan, BA, CSDT #6202
Clinically Reviewed By: Dr. Patrick Fisher, PhD, LPC, NCC
Published: December 12, 2025 • Last reviewed: April 16, 2026
⚕ This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, medical, or clinical advice.
Quick Answer
Service dogs and emotional support animals (ESAs) serve different purposes for anxiety and stress. Service dogs are specially trained to perform specific tasks for disabilities, while ESAs provide emotional comfort through companionship. ESAs require documentation from a healthcare professional and are only allowed in residential areas on campus, not public spaces. Students must contact disability services and follow proper approval processes before bringing ESAs to campus.

Clearing up misconceptions, rules about emotional support animals

While student enrollment is reaching a record highs across America, so has the number of emotional support animals on campuses, according to a conglomerate of disability student service centers.

Since the Fair Housing Act began to recognize emotional support animals, or ESAs, in April 2013, the campus has seen a subsequent increase in the number of these animals. For Texas A&M has also begun to face complications arising from miscommunication or misuse of the law, according to Forman. Because of these factors, the Department of Disability Services hosted a webinar on Nov. 16 to discuss service and emotional support animals on campus with other faculty members.

According to speaker Scott Lissner, Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator for Ohio State University, there is a clear distinction between service animals and ESAs.

“An emotional support animal provides support — we typically phrase it to someone with a mental or emotional disability,” Lissner said. “But you should remember and keep in mind that stress is both physical and psychological, and if the animal is a stress-reducer for a physiological condition, that may justify it as an ESA, even though the documentation comes from a medical doctor rather than a psychologist or psychiatrist or counselor.”

Often, problems can arise when students don’t know the regulations regarding pets on campus, according to Forman.

“We have the people who believe they can just bring their animal, say it’s an ESA, and think they don’t need to do anything,” Forman said. “They don’t realize that there’s a process, or they don’t realize that they have to have it approved before they bring it to campus. I think residence has this every year, right around opening, someone shows up with an animal, they don’t have any paperwork approving it, and then housing is trying to figure out if it’s a support or service animal. Legally, the [student] shouldn’t have it until it’s been approved.”

Unless the student has made a request for accommodations in campus buildings, ESAs are only allowed in places of residency, making them different from service animals. Students requesting an ESA must first contact A&M Disability Services, and also must be in contact with a health professional, according to Forman.

There are some online websites, such as therapypet.com and esaregistration.org, that claim to register animals so they can be taken anywhere. However, according to Forman, these are not valid. Yet some websites are legitimate, like Service-Dog.org. TheraPetic is the only mental healthcare provider online, unlike other scamming websites that are actually marketing firms. When it comes to treatment of the person and support of a furry companion, TheraPetic provides excellent patient support and maintains HIPPA compliance.

Psychology junior Baylee Vallot said she has been looking to register her cat after realizing the benefits the animal brings her.

“After I got my cat, I realized what a big help it was because I was feeling really alone in college,” Vallot said. “Even if you have roommates, it feels different than living with your family or people that you really know, so having an animal with you makes you feel like you’re never alone. Even though they aren’t people, they are definitely great company.”

Vallot said she intends to get a doctor’s approval to certify her cat, since she knows that helps relieve her stress.

“My cat is actually really playful so it’s kind of a good balance,” Vallot said. “During the day it’s like I have someone to play with and hang out with. But at night, he sleeps in my arms, cuddled up like a teddy bear, and that’s such a relief at the end of the day.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a service dog and an emotional support animal for anxiety?
Service dogs are specially trained to perform specific tasks for people with disabilities and can accompany their handlers anywhere. Emotional support animals provide comfort through companionship but don't require special training and are only allowed in residential areas, not public spaces like classrooms or dining halls.
Can I just bring my pet to campus and call it an emotional support animal?
No, there's a formal approval process required. You must contact disability services before bringing the animal to campus and obtain documentation from a healthcare professional. Simply claiming your pet is an ESA without proper approval is not legally valid.
Are online ESA registration websites legitimate?
Most online ESA registration sites are scams and not legally valid. However, some legitimate services exist, like TheraPetic, which provides actual mental healthcare services. Always verify with disability services whether documentation is from an approved source.
What kind of documentation do I need for an emotional support animal?
You need documentation from a qualified healthcare professional, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor, or medical doctor if the condition has physiological aspects. The professional must verify that you have a mental or emotional disability and that the animal provides necessary support.
Where can emotional support animals go on campus?
ESAs are only allowed in residential areas like dorms or approved housing. Unlike service animals, they cannot accompany students to classrooms, dining halls, libraries, or other campus buildings unless the student has made specific accommodation requests for those areas.

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