A man’s best friend. A four-legged pal. Dogs offer companionship, but college students are not properly informed when it comes to the responsibilities of homing a pet or where they should get the pet from.
Moving away from home to attend a university can leave a student feeling lonely, which is something that they may want to cure with a dog. Getting a dog can help students feel supported and provide company at home. However, a student needs to do research and plan before adopting a dog.
A college student’s life is often far from stable. There may be changes in a student’s free time, income and housing rather suddenly. These inconsistencies are not conditions that are ideal for owning a dog.
A student wanting to own a pet should sit down and make a plan involving the cost and time they can commit to a pet. The list should also include plans for their future and whether or not a dog will fit into those plans long-term.
The most important factor to determine is whether or not a dog is a good responsibility for you to take on. Make sure you do your research and plan before deciding to get a dog to ensure you can provide the proper environment for that dog.
If a student determines that a dog does fit into their situation, there is the matter of figuring out where to get the dog from. An issue with purchasing a dog is the misinformation of the dog’s origin.
According to an article by Deseret News, there are at least half a dozen pet stores in Utah that are supplied by out-of-state puppy mills.
Puppy mills are places where puppies are mass-produced by breeders to be sold all over the country. Puppies that come from these commercial breeding kennels are mistreated and seen simply as a paycheck for the breeders. Pet stores that purchase the dogs are often lied to about the condition from which the puppies are being purchased. This mass production of puppies is inhumane, and they take away the availability of homes for pets from shelters and rescue groups.
Rather than supporting inhumane breeding practices, adoption is the way to go. Rescuing a dog from a shelter means helping fight pet overpopulation. Many shelters also do screening to detect any health or behavioral issues that you, as a prospective owner, should be aware of. Shelters will have a better idea of the background of the dog, and this will help ensure the dog is a good match to an owner. Adopting is also more affordable with shelters having low adoption costs.
If a student decides that a dog is not a responsibility they can take on, there are many other ways to still be involved with dogs and receive some support from having some canine companionship.
One of them is to get involved at a local shelter. The St. George Animal Shelter and the Providing Animals With Support animal rescue are both places that offer volunteer opportunities. They also accept donations and have lists of pet items they are in need of.
Look into volunteering with non-profit organizations such as Bailing Out Benji. This organization focuses on educating the public about rescuing and advocating against puppy mills.
The best thing a student can do is be informed and make responsible decisions when it comes to owning a pet. After all, a pet’s quality of life shouldn’t be an afterthought of an impulsive decision.
