Shelter eases college pet owner anxieties

As if being in college is not hectic enough, try adding a pet to the mix.

While away at college, many students find comfort in owning a pet, but for some, the commitment to their animals only lasts as long as the school year.

According to The Humane Society of the United States website, “Animal shelters located near colleges find that students may abandon pets when the animal is no longer convenient. End-of-semester dumping of animals is a sad reality.”

Kirsten Theisen, director of pet care issues for The Humane Society of the United States, said that if students really want to have pets around, there are other options.

“Instead, we recommend that students get involved with their local shelter as a volunteer, intern, or summer employee,” Theisen said. “This allows you to spend hours with all the animals looking for permanent homes, and help those animals become
more adoptable.”

Pets require more than just food and water every day.

“The MCHA would definitely advocate for anyone thinking of getting a pet that it is a lifelong commitment and that animals are costly,” Sarah Hayes, CEO of Monroe County Humane Association, said. “They are an on-going cost as well, and that’s something to keep in mind.”

Pets also require a similar schedule every day and are affected by changing
owners frequently.

“The changing of hands, going from one person to another to another, does affect the animal," Director of the City of Bloomington Animal Shelter, Laurie Ringquist said.
"That animal bonds with a person and gets used to their routine and schedules and it gets disrupted when they have to go through it again with a whole new person.”

Things such as behavioral problems, litter box problems and potty training problems can result in changing owners due to a lack of consistency in teaching manners and
behaviors.

Though Ringquist attributes end-of-the semester drop-offs to many different factors and not just students, she does advise them to think about the commitment an animal brings to student’s lives.

“At the top of the list is making a life-long commitment,” Ringquist said. “If they want to adopt a puppy, they might have that dog for the next 15 years through graduating college, through moving to a new city and getting a new job, through maybe even getting married and having kids. So we do talk to students about thinking ahead and
the commitment.”

Pets require a lot of time, money and commitment. These are often things most college students do not have a lot of because they face many other obligations such as school, work and their social lives.

The City of Bloomington Animal Shelter has a process that each applicant must go through in order to adopt a pet.

First, they must fill out an adoption application that requires them to answer questions about previous experience with animals, what the owners expectations are, what particular kind of pet the owner is looking for, landlord information as well as veterinarian information to make sure all other animals in the household are being taken care of properly.

After this, adoption applicants must meet with an adoption councilor.

“Often times, for college students, when someone is wanting to adopt a puppy or a dog, we require all of the roommates to come in and meet the dog first and also speak with the council to make sure all of the roommates are on board,” Ringquist said.

Also, all applicants must have landlord approval. The City of Bloomington Animal Shelter is required to call the landlord and make sure pets are allowed there as well as ask questions about deposit fees or monthly fees to discuss in the adoption
counseling session.

“Once we are through that process then a manager has to approve the application,” Ringquist said. “Someone can’t just walk in and say I want that dog and walk out with it.”

She also asks students to consider a wide range of things before adopting
an animal.

“We talk to students about moving and landlords, monitary commitment, time management, roommates and allergies, vacations, and the long-term time commitment,” Ringquist said.

She advises students to think about their living arrangements and whether or not they are pet-friendly as well as veterinarian bills for shots, illness, or injury. Also, with school and possibly a job, will you pet receive enough attention and will they be given the proper care.

“Animals are a lot of work,” Ringquist said. “They can be very rewarding and add a lot to someone’s life, but for students who already have very busy schedules and lots of commitments we ask them to really consider all of these things before they add an animal to the home.”

Ringquist offers this instead of taking on the full commitment.

“Students should know that we have a very active volunteer program and foster program so they might be able to fulfill that need of being around animals by volunteering at a shelter instead of taking on the life-long commitment of a pet.”

For information regarding volunteering at the animal shelter or fostering animals, visit the City of Bloomington website at www.bloomington.in.gov.