Anne+S’s+OpEd+Article



I have lived with a dog for 17 years (aka my whole life). How am I going to function for four years, probably more, in college and living in apartments, WITHOUT DOGS. Who is going to follow me around everywhere, who is going to bark at intruders (this could be helpful in college), keep my feet warm at night, be my biggest fan, annoy me but provide me with constant entertainment, and be a perfect best friend? WHO?? Dogs are the perfect addition to any occasion and I’m not sure how I’m going to remain sane without one.

Colleges should allow their students to have dogs in the dorms. If this is an impossibly difficult task, they should at least have communal dogs on campus to provide students with entertainment, sanity, and self esteem. How hard would it be to give someone a job to live on campus with a dog and just walk it around campus so people could love it? I would take that job. Anyone would. I’m not just saying that dogs should be on college campuses just because I love them, but dogs would be very useful to college students. A dog can provide someone with a reminder of home, with a little bit of love, or at the very least a little bit of slobber and dog hair. (slobber and dog hair are good things!) But on a more serious note, dogs are used for therapy in hospitals and, Casa Pacifica in Camarillo, which is a home for kids in the foster care system, always has dogs on campus for the kids that live there (and visitors). Dogs must be important if they are used so frequently to benefit people who are suffering physically or emotionally. Of course, people on college campuses aren't suffering, BUT they could be stressed, or homesick, or lonely and a dog wouldn’t hurt. Some colleges, like Northwestern and Cal Poly, bring puppies on campus just to reduce stress during finals week. Who wouldn’t want a puppy in their arms as they break into a cold sweat while thinking about taking a final? No one. People need dogs and college students are people too.