Week one is over and the break is so far back in my memory that I wonder if I imagined it. But, one feeling from break still remains for me-the lack of my fuzzy bundles of joy. Yes, I am referring to my cats and dogs, not a furry love child from my past. To simplify further, I miss my pets. This may seem elementary and pointless, but recently I have come to feel that the relationship with a pet and the companionship a pet brings is an overlooked and potentially health boasting relationship.

As college students, we generally accept that pets are a no-no and have never questioned the decision for a pet-free existence. In the last couple years, however, many schools across the country have been experimenting with pet-friendly dorms. For example, Massachusetts Institute of Technology sets aside four buildings for upperclassmen that allow cats, under specific guidelines, with the main reason being stress relief. Also, Stephens College recently received national press for creating a pilot program that allows for a pet floor under strict rules. The rules included a weight limit of 40 pounds or less, the pet must be spayed or neutered, the student must provide proof that the pet has all its shots and a deposit and waiver must be provided for responsibility of any damage caused by the pet. Included in many of the colleges that participate is the consent of 75 to 100 percent of the floor’s residents and the option to request a non-pet floor. The obvious con to a pet-friendly environment is the possible noise, mess and lack of care. A student who is going through the trouble of registering his or her pet, however, is probably not going to neglect their pet on a whim.

A pet-friendly dorm on- campus may not necessarily be an answer. But, I feel if ResLife began a pet policy off campus, there could be many benefits to both students and the school. Firstly, off-campus is a more plausible place to own a pet. Presumably, you have more access to the outdoors in an area that already may be occupied by non-Wash. U. pet owners. Secondly, the National Institute of Health (NIH) has concluded that pets have a relaxing effect on their owners, which may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It has also been concluded that pets have been known to lower stress levels and calm the nerves. This would be an obvious benefit to a Wash. U. student (I believe everyone can agree that Wash. U. is stressful.) Lastly, the added perk of pet ownership may entice students who would normally stay on campus until death (or graduation, whichever occurs first) to move off campus, thereby possibly alleviating the risk for a repeat of this year’s housing crunch.

Therefore, this is what I propose:

1) Allow pets in select Wash. U. off-campus apartments.

2) Put a weight limit of 40 pounds or less on the animals. (Size isn’t necessarily a problem until someone tries to squeeze a Great Dane into a Wash. Ave. apartment.)

3) The pet owner must register his/her pet with ResLife by providing a current record of their shots and by leaving a deposit.

4) The pet owner must be responsible financially for any damage that occurs due to their pet.

5) If any of these rules are broken, it may lead to immediate expulsion of the pet.

With a good set of rules in place, I feel that the benefits of pet-owning in a college setting could be endless. Furthermore, if the benefits do prove to be good, the school could choose to further implement a pet policy in on-campus, upper-classmen dorms.

Chelsea is a junior in the School of Art and a Forum Editor. She can be reached via e-mail at forum@studlife.com.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 22nd, 2007 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Forum. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.