The cry for more pet-friendly campuses is a fairly new thing, and the transformation of some colleges from strict No Pet zones to Pet Friendly is surprising. But students who are hoping to tote their beloved pups and kittens to their dorm rooms should not rely too much on the idea that their dream school will someday become pet friendly. There are reasons why most universities ban pets from their residence halls and many reasons to keep it that way.
Property damage is a concern when it comes to pet ownership. Animals can be destructive, even when they do not mean to be. Dogs and cats can scratch up and chew on furniture and soil carpeting. Everything that the animal ruined would have to be replaced before a tenant arrives, which costs the universities money for materials and labor. Even smaller pets, like hamsters and goldfish, can wreak havoc on a dorm room. Smaller animals can leave droppings in the nooks and crannies of the room, and if an aquarium should break, there would be water damage. For these reasons, many schools are reluctant to allow animals to live with their student owners in campus-owned residence halls and apartments. In addition, the dormitories in residence halls are notoriously small. Confining an animal in that cramped space, especially when it is already shared by two full-grown human beings, is not healthy for it.
Animal lovers may deem the No Pet policy cruel, but the fact is that not all people are animal lovers. In fact, some may even be highly allergic to certain pets. Fur and pet dander can trigger mild allergy attacks in many people and full-scale allergy assaults on others. While it is impossible to insulate those with pet allergies completely from the hazards of pet dander contact – after all, some students may live with pets off-campus and bring fur and dander on their clothing to campus – exposure can be reduced by eliminating the presence of animals on campus and in residential areas. In addition, having animals in residence halls can cause health and safety issues, whereas banning animals in residence halls will not cause any health and safety issues. When it comes down to potentially endangering scholars with severe pet allergies and producing an unpleasant learning atmosphere for those with milder allergies by allowing a few pet owners to bring their fluffy, feathered, or scaled companions into residence halls, or just simply banning pets, most universities prefer the latter.