Crossing paths with dogs, cats and other animals is part of campus life for students at Eckerd College, a liberal arts school in south St. Petersburg that allows pets to live in dormitories.
Sophie Nocera, an Eckerd senior, said she probably knows the names of pets better than her fellow students.
“That’s the case for a lot of the students," said Nocera, who lives on the campus with her border collie, Zuko. "When I'm walking my dog, I often hear, ‘Oh, my god, hi, Zuko!’ It's like I’m not even there."
Some colleges and universities around the country welcome pets in campus residences, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to Stephens College in Missouri.
For students, the companionship can help reduce stress, anxiety and homesickness. The colleges also see benefits for student engagement and helping them build connections with one another.
Federal law requires public and private colleges to allow service animals and emotional support animals in student housing. But growing numbers of schools are allowing pets, with various restrictions.
At Eckerd, students can bring their family pets to live with them on campus after their first semester. The college requires pets to have been part of students’ home life at least six months before coming to campus and must not be venomous or aggressive.
Eckerd has had pet-friendly dorms since 1973. Jack Layden, assistant dean for residential life and student engagement, said the college has hosted hundreds of animals, including rabbits, ferrets, chinchillas, birds, guinea pigs, bearded dragons, geckos, turtles, snakes, frogs, fish, and even a tarantula.
A check of other Florida campuses shows only Stetson University in DeLand allowing dogs and cats.
The University of Florida permits small nonpoisonous pets such as fish or hamsters. The University of South Florida and other state schools are more strict with on-campus housing, with only registered service or emotional support animals allowed. Some permit fish aquariums smaller than 10 gallons.
Nocera said Zuko has helped her meet other people on campus, as well as emotionally, when she struggled with a decision to change her major.
“I remember coming back to my dorm and just melting to the floor, and Zuko was right there. And I remember thinking, whatever happens tomorrow, I’m going to wake up, and I’m going to take him to the dog park. And, we’re going to go play fetch regardless of what my major is," said Nocera, who is the staff director of Pet Life, a student-led department on campus tasked with administering the pet policy.
Outside of Florida, pets change college experience
At the University of Northern Colorado, students in three of the more than dozen residence halls on campus are allowed to have dogs and cats. The animals must be at least 6 months old and no more than 40 pounds. Students are limited to one pet. This fall, the school will have the most registered pets on campus since it began allowing them over a decade ago, said Jediah Cummins, executive director of housing.
“One of the markers of adulthood is, ‘Can I not just take care of myself, but can I take care of another living being?’ That’s an important part of this,” Cummins said.
Molly Cheer, a senior nursing major, said she chose Northern Colorado in part because of its pet-friendly policy. When she is stressed about school, she said, it helps coming home to Louie, the cat she adopted during her first year.
“Whenever I'm feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I pick him up and cuddle him, and he just deals with it for as long as I need it,” she said.
MIT allows only cats, in limited numbers and in preapproved spaces.
At Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania, Eva Chatterjee-Sutton saw the difference a pet can make when a first-year student was struggling to make connections before her mother suggested a puppy. After the dog's arrival, the student became more involved in campus life, said Chatterjee-Sutton, vice president of student life.
“I think it’s absolutely changed her college trajectory and her connection with others on campus,” Chatterjee-Sutton said.
Dorms set boundaries, get creative to support pet owners
Pet-friendly residence halls require colleges to consider things like safety concerns, noise complaints, how to avoid agitating animals during fire alarm tests, as well as additional costs for cleaning, Layden said.
Some schools charge a pet fee, which varies by school, type of pet and is often included in housing expenses. For example, at Stephens College, the annual fee for a dog or cat is $220, for a cage- or aquarium-dwelling pet is $50 and free for fish.
Others require students to have liability insurance and roommate agreements. Pets are required to be restrained when in public, and most colleges require students to ensure their pets are healthy and vaccinated.
Eckerd and other colleges recognize pets' role in their students' lives at graduation ceremonies, allowing them to cross the commencement stage together in some cases.
“Having pets obviously isn’t for everyone, and that is totally OK,” Nocera said. “But for the people that it is a good fit for, it is so worth it. This upcoming year, I'll be graduating, and Zuko will be in his little pet graduation ceremony, walking across the stage with me.”
