[no kudzu]

Hope this policy spreads across the country.

University of Northern Colorado to add a pet-friendly dorm next year - The Denver Post

[AbbyJaneway]

Omg, if they allow dogs that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Most of the apartments in my building have a dog and the dogs bark at each other all day long. Not to mention the legal issues surrounding dogs fighting and biting, and having to depend on 18-22 year olds, not the most responsible age group, to pick up after their dogs. I'm all for dorms allowing caged pets, but dogs just seems like a bad idea.

[Ohiogirl81]

Encouraging college students to have pets is a bad idea. Not that all college students are irresponsible or uncaring - far from it - but college students are by nature transient and tend to leave things behind when they move. What happens when they want to leave the residence hall but can't find an apartment that will accept their pets?

[AbbyJaneway]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

Encouraging college students to have pets is a bad idea. Not that all college students are irresponsible or uncaring - far from it - but college students are by nature transient and tend to leave things behind when they move. What happens when they want to leave the residence hall but can't find an apartment that will accept their pets?

That's a good point. I work at a shelter in a college town, and we often have a small influx of cats every year at the end of May when the students move out. The saddest part is that most aren't brought in by the students, but by the landlords who find them abandoned in empty apartments.

[kateaboo]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

Encouraging college students to have pets is a bad idea. Not that all college students are irresponsible or uncaring - far from it - but college students are by nature transient and tend to leave things behind when they move. What happens when they want to leave the residence hall but can't find an apartment that will accept their pets?

This is a very good point. Around this area it is pretty difficult to find an affordable apartment complex that takes cats, let alone dogs. The apartment communities that do charge top dollar--something I don't think someone straight out of college can afford to pay or even someone still in college.

I see this as a positive for those that use animals to relieve anxiety/depression/other disorders as well as those who utilize animals for special needs.

[Zloser]

Originally Posted by AbbyJaneway

That's a good point. I work at a shelter in a college town, and we often have a small influx of cats every year at the end of May when the students move out. The saddest part is that most aren't brought in by the students, but by the landlords who find them abandoned in empty apartments.

They are calling this a pilot program. So what happens to the pets if it doesn't work out and they're not allowed back? I hope any students participating have parents ready to take the pet if the program doesn't last.

[Hopes]

This is such an awful idea. We should flood the college with protest letters. This can be stopped before it starts.

[baileyvpotter]

Originally Posted by kateaboo

This is a very good point. Around this area it is pretty difficult to find an affordable apartment complex that takes cats, let alone dogs. The apartment communities that do charge top dollar--something I don't think someone straight out of college can afford to pay or even someone still in college.

I see this as a positive for those that use animals to relieve anxiety/depression/other disorders as well as those who utilize animals for special needs.

We have the opposite where we live (a college town). Hard to find an apartment that doesn't take
dogs. So there are many students who go and get a puppy/dog who want to play house and are gone
most of the day, out late at night and get frantic during breaks (there are services for that which
get booked pretty quickly). They leave their dogs -chained outside during frigid weather) ground
floor units) all hours day and night. The apartments are owned by businesses so they do make
a lot of profit by charging an extra $75.00 a month per pet as well as a hefty pet deposit (which
usually is not refundable due to damage the pets cause on the floors)

For anyone with a disability (which would include depression, anxiety & other disorders) -under
the Fair Housing Act and The Americans with Disabilities Act, if your doctor can write a letter
explaining a person's need for a pet - most complexes would have to comply (but private
apartments may find a way to get around that).

[AbbyJaneway]

Originally Posted by Zloser

They are calling this a pilot program. So what happens to the pets if it doesn't work out and they're not allowed back? I hope any students participating have parents ready to take the pet if the program doesn't last.

I hope so too.