How have you shown your pet that you love them for National Love Your Pet Day? From treats to walks to a longer playtime, there’s plenty of ways you can spend a bit of extra time with them today.
If you’re heading to college soon though, you may be worried about leaving your pet behind. But did you know that there are several colleges that actually let you take your pet with you? Here are just a few pet friendly colleges!
Eckerd College
Eckerd College is a small undergraduate school (just over 2,000 students) that can be found in Saint Petersburg, FL. Small and large pets are allowed to attend school with you and live in your dorm! And they’ll even have their own graduation ceremony when you graduate, complete with their very own diplomas.
Smaller pets can be kept in any dorm on campus and can be brought as soon as you start your college semester. These include fish, hamsters, sugar gliders, amphibians, and similar animals, and you can have as many as two small pets.
Larger pets, however, will have to wait until your second semester to move in and can only move into housing options dedicated to Large Pets. This includes cats, rabbits, dogs, ferrets, chinchillas, and more. Dogs need to be under 40 pounds, though.
All pets need to be registered with the Pet Life staff at Eckerd College and meet other requirements including vaccination records.
Lees-McRae College
Lees-McRae College is another small college, with under 1,000 students attending. Found in Banner Elk, North Carolina, the school allows cats, dogs, and fish in some of the dorm rooms.
Cats and dogs are only permitted in certain residence halls and you must have the permission of your housemates if you’re staying in Houses. Dogs need to weigh under forty pounds and some breeds or mixed breeds are not allowed. Students can only have one cat or dog, and must register them with the school in addition to paying a fee.
Fish aquariums need to be twenty gallons or smaller, but students can have two aquariums. There is no fee or registration required for fish.
Stephens College
Stephens College, located in Columbia, Missouri, is a women’s college. Students are more than welcome to bring their pets along! Cats and dogs must be six months old, be current on all their vaccinations, and meet behavioral requirements (house broken, litter box trained, etc). Certain breeds of dogs are not allowed.
Students can also bring rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, lizards, birds, fish, and other animals. Fish aquariums should not be over 40 gallons.
Don’t have a pet? That’s absolutely okay – Stephens College has a fostering program! The school is partnered with a no-kill shelter. You can foster one of their dogs or cats to help it be ready for its forever home. You’ll assist with training, health improvement, and more – you could even become eligible for a scholarship through this program.
These are just a few pet friendly colleges so you can bring along your beloved pets for your college education. Be sure to check with your own school to see what their pet policies entail!
