Emotional support animals are making a difference in the lives of some students across BYU campus.
Phia James, one of these students, lives in the Language Immersion Student Residence, or LISR. Students living at the residence speak languages from around the world with one another every single day.
"The LISR is both a humanities and a housing program where students are able to live with other individuals who speak the same or additional languages as them," James said.
James lives in the German House, a BYU apartment where residents can only speak German while at home.
"I started learning German when I was 12 and then when I was 16, I moved to Germany by myself for a while," James said.
Because of health issues, James is a BYU resident with a constant companion at her side.
"Tuppy is my emotional support animal. He's just a very small, hypoallergenic, very happy dog. I had a service dog for a long time but he had to retire," James said.
After consulting with her doctors and therapist — and happening upon a KSL ad — Tuppy became the fluffy mascot of the LISR.
"I've been living in the LISR for about a week and a half to two weeks. My brother told me that there was a dog in the apartment," Adelle Rasmussen, James' roommate, said.
"He's just a little furry friend that's super fun to cuddle with and to have with you," Bekah Nelson, James' friend, said.
Though it may sound as though Tuppy is simply a pet, James said that Tuppy poses a deeper purpose at her side.
"Support animals and service animals are kind of interesting beasts. The presence of the emotional support animal provides some sort of relief or some sort of assistance to the handler that is considered medically necessary," James said.
James has found a fairly positive experience with BYU's accommodations, she said.
"The LISR is its own unique beast and it's got lovely, lovely, lovely kids. It wasn't necessarily designed for ESAs in mind, but I think BYU does a great job," James said.
While the Language Immersion Student Residence has strict policies, such as requiring students speak their designated foreign language and follow BYU's Honor Code, James' story demonstrates the possible accommodations and opportunities for those in need.
To learn more about BYU's accommodations for service and emotional support animals, visit the University Accessibility Center at the Wilkinson Center or online at access.byu.edu.