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Disabilities complaint filed after ferret banned from dorm </font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
< snipped >Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO — A student has filed an Americans With Disabilities Act complaint against a university because it won't let her keep her pet ferret at her dormitory.

Freshman Sarah Sevick, 19, said in a complaint filed with the U.S. Justice Department that she needs the ferret, named Lilly, at Our Lady of the Lake University to calm her during panic attacks.

"I'm not suing the school, and I'm not asking for money. I'm just trying to get her here," she said.

Sevick said she has been diagnosed with psychiatric problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder. She takes medication for depression and anxiety, she said.

She said her problems are related, legally, to a physical disability.

"It's something inside my body that I can't control," Sevick said. < snipped >

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interesting article. wonder just who the "Federal officials" are that decide which specific tasks are covered by the ADA for service animals.

our pdoc requests for us to bring our dog to the appointments as often as is possible. pdoc mentions difference in our levels of anxiety when dog is present during appointments..........much lower when dog comes to appointments.

what do y'all think about this young lady and her chances of getting her ferret recognized as an emotional support animal? why isn't the mental health of people considered important enough for emotional support animals to gain more recognition?

meh, we're not up to really getting our thoughts out about this but wanted to start a thread to hear what y'all thought......

JEEEZ.FOR THE entire three years that i taught phototherapy at the psych hosp, i took tippy. he had a marvelous effect upon the patients...and me too. what on earth would a ferret hurt? i'm for her getting to take it with her to school.

i had an agoraphobic in group. she had not spoken in 8 months nor had she been out of her house. one day she tugged my sleeve and said, "pat, i think tippy needs to pee"........

[CedarS]

I hope she gets to keep her ferret, and that the court case helps educate some people. Hopefully will make it easier for the next person.

I love the Tippy story!

i love my ferrets!!! i have lucy, she is a rescue and as timid as they come, she sleeps at the bottom of my sleeping bag every night, i also have sadsac whom i rescued recently and have only had a couple of days, he sleeps on my arm, i dont cage my friends and they are a great stress buster, as with any animal you get back what you give.

there was a headline in the national newspapers in the last couple of days about a ferret clothing shop being threatened with legal action by a big company, check out the link is very funny but true.

http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...12/nburb12.xml

[Ryan]

When I was having rough times in Michigan, River would cuddle up with me and it certainly helped to calm me down. I hope she gets to keep her ferret.

[(JD)]

I think there needs to be some kind of "official" documentation, like for our service dogs, so not just every do dah person who wants to drag their untrained, uncared for PET can use the ruling. But, of course, for those of us who need these animals, they are NOT pets, but service animals. There are plenty of organizations that can certify an animal. I hope she wins, personally. LOL but a ferret in a dorm??? What a hayday for the ferret ..pick pocket delights! lol (I jest, of course!>)

[jennie]

you'd think the University would have enough sense to waive their dorm rules for small pets just out of consideration for the needs of persons with disabilities.