To many students, adopting a pet may seem like an easy solution to loneliness, stress or a broken heart. Although adopting a pet may be an amusing idea, many college students should factor in the cost of maintaining a pet before purchasing one.
The annual cost of dog ownership, according to the American Kennel Club, is about $2,500. This figure does not include the cost of a pet deposit that many renters today demand, as well as the monthly pet rent that may be included.
Many students think owning a pet will be easy, since they have roommates who are just as excited about the idea as they are and are willing to help out. Animals can quickly turn a happy house into a quarreling one. Most roommates are excited for the first couple of weeks, or even days, until the new addition to the household sprays on a pile of clean clothes or an expensive backpack.
Students need to also be aware that when they graduate from college, they will be moving, possibly to someplace that doesn’t allow animals. What will you do with Sassy when that apartment in downtown Chicago charges as much as $100 a month for pet rent? Many students assume that their parents will take care of their animal, but is this really fair to them?
A humane society near the University of Michigan noted a 30 percent increase in the number of dogs that are abandoned at the end of school each year.
Simply taking the animal back to the shelter isn’t the best idea. Animals become distraught after shifting from one home to another, and it’s also hard on the shelter when they are trying to find permanent homes for these animals. The older a pet gets the harder it is to place them.
Many animals that are returned to shelters that were adopted as puppies or kittens are euthanized. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that animal shelters care for 6-8 million dogs and cats every year in the United States, of which approximately 3-4 million are euthanized.
If a student is considering adopting an animal, there are options besides taking one into one’s home. Many shelters offer programs such as adopt a pet for a day. These programs are geared toward college students, allowing them to take dogs out on walks to help prevent stiff joints and knees. The cats and kittens can also benefit by getting much needed attention they crave.
Volunteer positions are also available at most humane societies for students who would like to spend some quality time with animals in need. Volunteer time may also be logged in as community service for many student organizations such as fraternities, sororities or for Superior Edge.
Students should think twice before they decide to adopt an animal, or worse yet, buy one from a puppy mill. Will you absolutely be able to afford to fix Fluff’s leg if he gets hit by a car, or will your parents be footing the bill?
Jess B • Mar 19, 2011 at 11:10 pm
I agree somewhat with this article in that one should think through adopting a pet and not just get one on a whim or “because its cute.” It is a lot of responsibility and can be very expensive but it is not impossible nor it is a ‘bad’ choice. It is merely one that should be made after careful consideration for what is best for both animal and owner and lots of planning. Yes having a pet rules out some living arrangements but there are plenty of places that allow animals. Also if you buy/adopt it then it is yours. You shouldn’t pawn them off on people just because they don’t fit with your lifestyle anymore. Think about that before you bring a furry friend home.
I also agree with the previous comment. As far as I know the few to none of the shelters in this area are kill shelters. It would be very nice to have comments from someone who works at one of the shelters. Not sure if this is supposed to be an editorial or not but even so it should be backed up with sources (it would make the piece stronger and more convincing).
Zoe • Mar 17, 2011 at 11:16 pm
I hate to be rude, but I really did not enjoy reading this article even though I mostly agree with the point you are trying to get across. I found it to be somewhat poorly written. Instead of just getting facts about national humane societies, why didn’t you talk to our local shelter about their opinions on this issue? The shelter in Negaunee, UPAWS, does not euthanize any adoptable animal for space or time reasons. Yes, students need to think critically about whether getting a pet is right for them. But your article seems to be insinuating that almost no college student should adopt a pet. Some students are completely responsible enough to own a pet. Pre-vet majors obviously should be able to handle the responsibility otherwise it would be a little ironic. My husband and I decided we were financially stable enough to adopt a dog in addition to our two cats, and we haven’t had much of a problem. Students jut need to look at their budget. The one thing we were not prepared for was that one of our cats needed allergy shots, which can be over $600 a year. So I held a bake sale to raise the extra money for them. There are ways to get help in those types of situations. Finding a pet-friendly house or apartment isn’t always the hardest thing to do, you just need to plan ahead.
Additionally, UPAWS does welcome volunteers to come walk dogs and socialize cats.
One last comment: when students adopt from a shelter, they can often find very well behaved dogs or cats that fit their lifestyle. Puppies are hard to handle in rental situations and I would suggest against it. I personally would love to adopt an older dog, but I understand they deserve a family that has better finances available to care for the dog in it’s senior years.