Articles
Pets at College can Ease Homesickness
Maryann Mott
For NBC Universal's Petside.com
September 12, 2008
As some college students head off to school this fall there’s one thing they won’t have to leave behind — the family pet. A small but growing number of colleges offer animal-friendly dormitories that are so popular with students there aren’t enough rooms to meet demand.
That doesn’t surprise Rebecca Johnson, director of the Research Center for Human Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri in Columbia. “Pets are becoming more integrated as members of the family and so it’s only logical that students leaving home would experience great loss if they can’t take their pet,” she says.
Animals can positively impact young adults – some of whom are away from home for the first time – by providing stress relief, unconditional love and support, as well as act as social lubricants. “The animals provide a medium through which students who are unfamiliar with each other can communicate in an acceptable way and a less stressful way,” says Johnson.
The type of pets permitted on campus varies from school to school. About 30 miles outside of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, the liberal arts college of Washington and Jefferson allows small dogs, cats and pocket pets.
At the all women’s Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, a 16-acre equestrian center on campus offers stables for students’ horses. And in St. Petersburg, Florida, Eckerd College welcomes a variety of feathered and furry creatures, including dogs less than 40 pounds.
Not all pets do well in a school setting, so owners need to take into consideration their pet’s personality and traits, says Susan Nelson, DVM, and clinical assistant professor at Kansas State University in Manhattan. Shy and fearful animals won’t do well with lots of visitors coming in and out of the dorm room, she says. While hamsters and gerbils are active at night (not good for light sleepers) and some birds constantly chirp, which is disruptive when studying.
Students must be committed to properly caring for their pet. Dogs need regular walks; litter boxes require frequent cleaning. “If you’re busy from dusk to dawn in classes and labs, that may not be a good situation for your pet” says Nelson.
Located on nearly 200 acres of waterfront property in Florida, Eckerd’s campus offers plenty of space for students and their canine pals to play. Mike Robilotto, director of Residence Life, says the pet privilege is so enticing that some young adults apply to the private liberal arts and science school because of it. Nearly 2,000 students from 48 states and 33 countries attend the small college.
“People come from long distances and it makes them feel like home to have their family pet,” he says. About 45 tiled rooms – making ‘accidents’ easier to clean – allow animals. But snagging one of these spaces isn’t easy. “There’s always a waiting list for the pet housing,” says Robilotto. “When someone moves out; someone is ready to move in with their pet.”
At the State University of New York (SUNY) in Canton, the school’s 24 pet rooms are filled, and nearly 50 students are on the waiting list this semester hoping one of the coveted spots becomes available. “It’s unbelievably popular,” says Courtney Battista, director of Residence Life, of the Grasse River dorm’s two pet wings where cats, hamsters and mice are allowed.
Students living on those floors – some pursuing careers as veterinary technicians – form bonds quickly because of their love of animals, she says. The college started its pet policy in 1996 as a way to help students cope with homesickness.
“A lot of people, when they can bring their animals with them, feel more comfortable,” she says.
Maryann Mott is a pet writer based in Arizona.