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Hospitalized student nearly evicted for support dogs in ASU dorm

Posted at 10:45 PM, Sep 17, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-20 19:27:05-04

TEMPE, AZ — An ASU student was nearly evicted, while hospitalized with cancer, due to his two emotional support dogs.

The university has a "one emotional support" dog policy at its on-campus dorms. On September 10, the university's Senior Director of Residential Life told sophomore Phillip Hedges that he had ten days to move to off-campus housing.

Hedges signed the residential agreement but told ABC15 he was not aware of the dog policy.

Hedges only found out because he had to ask the university to help care for his animals while he was hospitalized for excruciating back pain. A biopsy revealed Hedges had "aggressive B cell lymphoma." The cancer is in Stage Two and a short hospital visit turned into days of bed-ridden tests.

The Arizona native starts chemotherapy in the coming days, but his main concern lately has not been his potentially deadly diagnosis.

"[My dogs] is what I'm more worried about," he said. "Lavender is my pug and Chesterfield is my Shih Tzu."

As Hedges' languished in the hospital, the emotional support dogs were stuck in his dorm room.

"I don't have parents that could take my dogs," he said. "I would give my left arm and my right eye for my dogs."

Emails provided by the student show that ASU's Senior Director of Residential Life personally checked on the animals, alongside building staff. Even providing "them additional food and water."

The director later emailed Hedges that he wanted to help him get "appropriate documentation" to allow the dogs to stay.

Hedges was incredibly appreciative in emails, writing, "I just want to say thank you so much for your patience and caring nature in this long matter."

Two weeks later though, the tune of the emails had changed. In a more formal email, the director wrote to Hedges that his dogs violated the one emotional support animal policy and informed him that, "Should [you] decide to keep both [dogs] with, University Housing will move forward in canceling your License Agreement for the 2019-2020 academic year at 5:00 pm, Friday, September 20, 2019.

"I was getting harassing calls at 10 o'clock at night...from little student workers saying, you have got to get your dogs out or we are taking them to the pound," said Hedges.

Days later after the email, Phillip's oncologist petitioned the university to "please consider an exception to the one-animal policy" because the "patient is experiencing a period of acute stress..."

Four days after the doctor's note, just three days before the eviction deadline, and while ABC15 was interviewing Hedges, he saw the university's new email.

It read in part, "With your recent diagnoses and your recently submitted paperwork...we are allowing you, Chesterfield and Lavender to reside in Rosewood."

The news was bittersweet for the student in the hospital bed.

"This is, a relief, yes, but this has been several weeks of hell," he said.

Hedges is now turning his attention to school, and his ongoing battle with cancer, with his dogs, guaranteed to be by his side.

"It will make a huge difference," said Hedges.

Hedges said he hopes the university will re-evaluate their policy and take into account what individual students are dealing with personally before threatening to enforce policies.

A GoFundMe page has been started to help Hedges cover his medical costs. If you would like to donate, click here.