Many college students move away from home for the first time and experience the college blues. The solution to this might be found in adopting a furry friend. Can animal adoption fill the void of companionship that some people suffer from?
Oxford Animal Resource Center Director Kelli Briscoe thinks so.
“Adoption is important because you are not only saving one life, you are actually saving more than one,” Briscoe said. “When you adopt from a shelter, you are saving the one you adopted and helping to make space for another animal in need.”
According to Briscoe, adoption has the added benefit of lessening animal overpopulation.
“Another reason adoption is so important is because there are not enough homes for all of the animals that are born every year. Adopting from a shelter or rescue helps to weaken the overpopulation cycle,” Briscoe said.
Although Briscoe believes adoption is important, she also believes that owning a pet — especially a dog — presents its own set of difficulties..
“Each dog comes with its own challenges,” Briscoe said.
Coty McGee is a community assistant at the Oxford Domain, a popular apartment complex among college students, and he thinks that pet ownership can be too great of a responsibility for an unprepared person.
“Some people jump the gun, and they don’t realize how much work (pets) are. Cause having a dog or having a pet in general is like having a child,” McGee said.
Sophomore pharmaceutical sciences major Haley Combs lives at the Oxford Domain with her three roommates and their dog, Swae – of which they just adopted from ARC around a month ago.
“Our adoption process was really smooth,” Combs said. “We went to the shelter (and) we kept going back to the same dog. (ARC staff) suggested we foster her, and after 24 hours, we said, ‘you’re not going anywhere.’”
Combs believes that Swae does a lot to bring the girls together.
“She’s been a connection for my roommates and I,” Combs said. “(She) brings us closer together.”
The Pickwick, Tenn. resident revealed that though adopting Swae has been positive, she has forced the girls to be more responsible via walking the dog, keeping the apartment clean and picking up her toys.
Despite the challenges of having a pet, however, Briscoe shares that the ARC tries their best to combat such challenges.
“When someone adopts from the Oxford Animal Resource Center, the adopter receives four free private training sessions with our contracted dog trainer that a breeder may not typically offer,” Briscoe said.
With training as an option, Briscoe believes that adoption is absolutely an option, and, sometimes, a great stress reliever.
“There are several health benefits to adopting an animal. Studies have shown that adopting a pet is mentally stimulating. It can lower depression, reduce PTSD and anxiety, along with lowering blood pressure and improving cardiovascular health,” Briscoe said.
If students are hesitant to take on the responsibilities of owning a pet, Briscoe suggests fostering an animal.
“We started a program called ‘Foster for a Day’ that students utilize, and it is not only mentally stimulating for the animal, but also the person. It gives the animal a chance to get outside of a stressful environment and be mentally enriched,” Briscoe said.
The benefits of adopting a pet can improve the quality of life for the pet and the pet owner. However, there are things to consider if one is contemplating adopting a pet.
It is important to acknowledge the long term financial responsibility of pet ownership and making sure one’s schedule and living environment are conducive to having a pet. Even if adoption is not necessarily the right decision for every student, volunteering is always an option. To learn more about ARC and potentially adopting, volunteering or fostering a pet, check out their website.
Clay Hale contributed reporting.
