As college students, the idea of adopting and maintaining a pet other than a goldfish or a gerbil can be somewhat unrealistic. Having someone to love and keep company on particularly lonely nights seems like a winning scenario, but this idea alone can cloud the reality. Because pets come with unfamiliar stenches, chewed or scratched furniture and extra costs for food and vet visits. They pee on things, eat a favorite pair of shoes and cry throughout the night.
With all these cons, it seems like having a pet might not be worth the trouble, right?
Actually, most seem to disagree. The pros of having a pet according to pet owners vastly outweigh any cons that we can come up with. The abundant love and friendship one develops between a pet is like adopting a new member of the family.
Whitney Gentry, junior in health promotion, adopted her dog Stella from the Lee County Humane Society and believes the pros of having a pet absolutely outweigh any cons. Future pet owners should, however, understand the time and responsibilities that come with owning a pet. For Gentry, every decision must be made with Stella in mind.
"All of my free time is devoted to her, every decision I make has to involve her, and sometimes she chews my underwear up," Gentry said.
Gentry said having a dog has helped her build relationships with other pet owners, kept her in shape and taught her many things about caring for another living being.
"(Stella) teaches me responsibility and she teaches me not to have a kid until, like, ever," Gentry said.
As far as costs go, Gentry admits the younger stages of any pet can be relatively expensive, but as the pet gets older depending on it's health, the costs decrease.
Animal caretaker at the Lee County Humane Society Kaci Jordan agrees.
"Many people say they can't afford to take care of their animal but then they can afford to go to the bar every single weekend," Jordan said. "But for the most part, it's not a big money issue because the unconditional love (you) get in return isn't something money can buy."
Laura Robinson, sophomore in social work, has always had a pet back home and adopted a cat, Milly, to have someone here in Auburn who is always happy to see her.
"It gives you a great amount of encouragement to care for someone other than yourself," Robinson said. "(But) the cons are that it is very expensive and you always have to worry about how what you do could effect you and your pet."
Jordan has similar ideas, admitting that having a pet is like having a child as far as caretaking goes, and she believes that college students should definitely understand the responsibility involved with owning one.
"If you're not very busy and you have time to take care of (a pet) then that's great!" Jordan said. "But I don't think it's fair to the animal or the owner to have an animal and are barely home to play with them."
Most college students have extracurricular activities and other things to keep them busy that may get in the way of maintaining and taking care of a pet.
"I would recommend (having a pet) to someone with all the right resources like a yard, money and time," Gentry said. "The pros absolutely outweigh the cons if you put enough time in at the beginning. And you have to love dogs as much as I do probably, otherwise it could be a headache. Definitely the best impulse decision I've ever made, though."
Gentry said she has a best friend around 24/7, Robinson said she has a great companion and Jordan said without her dog, it's like a piece of her is missing.
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