Pets on Campus

Anneka Hutton, a junior biological science major, and Gabrielle Bailey, a junior communication major, were walking on the bike path when they heard a sound. No, it wasn't the sound of heavy breathing, or the faint echoing from someone's iPod earphones.

It was the crying of an abandoned kitten.

A third roommate was the last thing Hutton and her roommate Bailey expected to find. While strolling down the bike path they discovered a tiny, lonely kitten. Feeling they couldn't just leave the helpless kitten there, Hutton and Bailey decided to take her back to their dorm room.

With the exception of service animals and fish in 10-gallon tanks, pets are not allowed on campus. Last year, records show that four residents violated the Campus Living rules regarding pets, according to Residential Judicial Coordinator, David Wright.

But those four students were only the ones that got caught. Many other students living in the residential dorms and on-campus apartments own pets ranging in all different shapes, sizes, and species.

Hutton and Bailey did not intend to keep the kitten they found. However, The American Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals (ASPCA) was full and couldn't accept their found feline. With no other option, Bailey decided to adopt the kitten, which they named Dulce, and brought her back to their dorm.

"I don't think we wanted a pet at school, but when we found her we knew we weren't gonna be able to give her up," Hutton said.

The two managed to sneak Dulce's food, litter, and toys into the dorms without any problems and passed every room check. There was only one moment where they were close to being caught.

"There was one time where Dulce escaped into the hallway – she was super adventurous – but we found her within seconds," Hutton said. "She was terrified and crawling behind the garbage can in our hall."

Now, Dulce lives with Bailey's family in Horseheads, N.Y. where she receives constant attention and is not limited to a dorm room. She can explore the entire house and gets to take catnaps in a room that's hers alone.

But not all pet-loving students get away with harboring a pet.

Alex Kawecki, a junior civil, structural and environmental engineering major, was caught with a hamster two years ago in Goodyear Hall. When she was taking her hamster, Honey, home for spring break, the little furry pet got loose from its cage and ran into someone else's room. Kawecki was nervous about getting caught for having a hamster in her room so she hadn't told anyone else on her floor about Honey. As a result, the RA was called to deal with the problem.

"They were going to kill [Honey] if I didn't come claim it," Kawecki said. "I received 10 hours of community service."

Kawecki doesn't agree with the current pet regulations on campus; that's part of the reason she decided to move off campus this semester. Now she has the liberty to keep animals without having to hide them and she isn't the only one.

"If I could change one rule about pets on campus I would say that they should have certain on-campus residences where pets are allowed, perhaps for a higher deposit of some sort," Hutton said. "I think that pets are important to some individuals, especially if they suffer from homesickness."

Animals can positively impact young adults – some of whom are away from home for the first time – by providing stress relief, unconditional love and support, according to Petside.com.

Kawecki wasn't the only one who has kept a pet on campus. On the UB subreddit website, current and alumni students have been posting the types of animals they've kept on campus over the years. There have been goldfish (which are allowed), piranhas, hamsters, snakes, turtles, and even cats. None of which have ever been caught by RA's.

Other colleges around the nation, however, have recently started to adopt more pet-friendly policies. SUNY Canton has a dorm that allows pets to walk freely as long as their owners are with them. At Eckerd College in Florida, students are allowed to have cats and dogs too, as long as they're less than 40 pounds.

Pets aren't for all students, but many students at UB believe that they should be able to have an animal companion to help them deal with stress and homesickness while away at college.

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