Pitter-Patter of Little Cat (Dog, Gerbil) Feet
More on pets in residence halls:
CNN reports that MIT, Stephen’s College and SUNY-Canton allow pets-within certain restrictions of course. CNN also points out that Tufts tried a pet-friendly policy for faculty, residence directors and graduate teaching assistants living on-campus, but abandoned it after students with allergies and asthma complained about the dander.
USA Today highlights a Washington & Jefferson student and her bichon frise, Vinny, and also talks to officials at Eckerd College and Stephens College.
Both stories point out the complications of pet housing:
- Dander and student allergies complicate things. As one official points out, after a dog or cat has lived in a room for a year, it is non-allergenic for several years afterward, even with thorough cleanings. Housing professionals often re-appropriate rooms and halls from year to year (making a single sex hall co-ed for example) in reaction to changing demands for housing. A pro-pet policy could limit their flexibility in this way.
- The Humane Society of the United States, while not outright condemning pet ownership by college students, strongly cautions against it. The ASPCA takes a similar stance. According to the USA Today article, the ASPCA is “cautiously supportive” of pro-pet policies, hoping such allowances prevent students from sneaking forbidden animals into their rooms and poorly caring for them as a result of their secrecy. Both organizations point out what housing professionals already know: students are prone to emotional, impulsive decisions and may not think through all the ramifications of owning, say, an adorable little puppy who will grow up to be a ungangly dog, bored and in need of something to chew. The timeline stretches beyond move-out, or even graduation: A commitment to a pet can span 15 years or longer, depending on the animal. (The Humane Society frowns on keeping reptiles as pets in any situation for example, in part because the creatures can live far longer than humans’ attention spans.) Both organizations worry students will poorly care for their charges, or abandon them at move-out time.
- Making and enforcing rules on pets-how big, shots, length of ownership, etc.-is complicated. Stephens College temporarily confiscated dogs from owners who were not caring for them properly; Eckerd codified its policy on snakes after a student brought a 12-foot boa constrictor to live in the hall, which frightened his hall-mates.
For those of us who are pet-lovers, the issue seems simple at first: I can bring my dog to school? Great! But as you dig deeper, it is more complicated, especially when you try to determine who such a policy benefits: the humans, the animals, or both?
