Lilly, a 10-week-old yellow lab, comes bounding out of the door of the University of Maryland’s off-campus University Club apartments. Being pulled behind her is Jenny Kline, a Maryland junior and Lilly’s owner.
To Kline, the hassle of wrangling an energetic puppy down many flights of stairs — in the evening, and the cold — is nothing more than a blip in the pet ownership experience.
“She makes me happy all the time, especially when I’m super stressed out,” Kline said.
An increasing number of college students are experiencing the joy that comes from having a pet at school, as campuses continue to open their doors (dorm room doors, that is) to household pets. About a dozen colleges and universities across the nation — mostly private — currently allow students to live with a pet.
At Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., the term “pets” refers to any and all living creatures that can be domesticated, including fish, dogs, cats, and other furry creatures, as well as snakes (as long as they are less than 6 feet long and nonvenomous).
Others, like Vassar College in New York, consider themselves “pet-friendly,” but only allow birds and animals that can be kept in aquariums or terrariums in residence halls. Most designate specific dorms that are pet-permissible, and require that pets be registered with the university’s office of residence life or related organization prior to move-in.
The University of Maryland, like most public universities, does not have a “pet-friendly” housing policy.
Michael Glowacki, assistant to the director of resident life at UMD, said the no-pet policy in all campus housing has been in effect for as long as he can recall.
“There are a lot of things you can do in a private home that just aren’t appropriate in a community living situation (like the dorms),” Glowacki said. “Having a pet in a fairly small space shared with many others brings about issues of cleanliness, noise and safety, and students have to make accommodations when they choose to live in this type of environment.”
Some students defy the rule and keep pets illegally in university housing. One student who keeps a pet cat at her apartment despite strict no-pet policies said she understood the reasons pets are not allowed in on-campus housing, but believes that small pets, like dogs and cats, should be permitted in dorms if some students desire them and are willing to take responsibility for damages or noise.
A study conducted in late 2008 by Ohio State University psychology faculty and researchers showed that college students might be able to handle stressful situations better if they have a pet.
The survey, based on responses from about 350 college students at a Midwestern commuter campus and nearby community members, found that nearly a quarter of college students surveyed believed their pets helped them get through tough times.
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