Growing up, always having a pet to love was something I definitely took for granted. For eighteen years I loved on my cat or dog, not even realizing that a day would come where I would no longer be able to have a furry friend by my side at all times. It didn't even really hit me that I could no longer sleep with my kitten until about three weeks before move-in day.
The reasoning behind not being able to house an animal inside of a dorm is obvious. Most kids won't have the time to take care of a pet, or even be responsible enough to know how to take care of a pet. And then, of course, you have people who are allergic to animals. But what about the kids who have grown up with pets and are lonely without having a pet to sleep with?
Although this may be unrealistic, I feel like there should be a pet-friendly dorm building where responsible pet owners could live. Coming to college and not having my dog or cat by my side was nearly heartbreaking and I honestly feel like I would have better days if I could come back from class to a smiling face and a wagging tail. This all might sound like an exaggeration, but having a pet living with me would have made the transition to living away from home a lot easier, and I know a number of other people agree with me.
This dorm could be a smaller building with students who own house-trained pets. Outside of the building, there could be a fenced-off dog park for the pets to run around in to release energy. There could be designated areas around the building for dogs to be walked so that there is no interaction with the residents in other buildings who wish to not be around them. Truly, there is no reason this plan would not be successful. There would be happy students who aren't having trouble transitioning without their pets, and there could even be a financial benefit for the university.
