For some University of Mississippi students, animal adoption can be a positive experience that teaches responsibility and time management skills. Beyond that, in a college town like Oxford, students offer a unique opportunity to help local shelters.
Oxford Animal Resource Center (OARC) offers college students opportunities to observe the animals, volunteer at the facility or foster for a day – all of which gives animals the care, attention and stability they deserve.
Kelli Broscoe, the director of OARC, shared her insights into the relationships among college students, the shelter and the animals.
“The Foster For a Day and Foster Programs are what we have noticed have strengthened the relationship between shelters and colleges,” Briscoe said. “Students have the ability to come and take a dog for a day or to foster short-term without the commitment of adoption. During the foster process, all supplies are provided including toys, bowls, food and a crate.”
For some students, fostering does not always go as planned. Senior sociology major Dymond Mitchell participated in the Foster for a Day program but found herself fostering for life after meeting her furry companion, Coco.
“I really just wanted to foster for a day,” Mitchell said. “That was the plan, and I ended up falling in love with her.”
Mitchell could not imagine returning Coco to the shelter.
“When I first got her, she was really nervous, and I could tell,” Mitchell said. “When she got to my house, she kept putting her head down, so I went and sat on the floor of my living room and she immediately came and sat in my lap and put her head into my shoulders and neck and snuggled.”
That moment of trust not only reassured Mitchell that Coco felt safe but also reshaped her summer in Oxford. What began as a simple foster quickly became a companion who gave her structure, purpose and a reason to step outside her routine.
“I was in Oxford for the summer and a lot of my friends were gone, so I just wanted a way to get out and do more things. I thought having a dog would be fun to take on walks, go to the trails and (give me) more of a reason to get out of the house,” Mitchell said.
For many college students, owning pets provides unexpected personal benefits during a demanding and stressful stage of life.
“Having Coco did help with my stress and homesickness,” Mitchell said. “It always gave me a buddy to go walking with or cuddle with and just know that it’s not all over, these grades aren’t the end of the world.”
While adoptions directly benefit animals, the impact goes far past that. Many students find that animals in their lives positively affect their own well-being.
“There are so many shelter dogs in need of a home and of love and who can make your life so much better,” Mitchell said. “Yes, I know Coco’s life is better off with us, but genuinely she has made my life better too.”
Lafayette County Animal Shelter Director Daniel Christenbury finds the adoption experience to be more than a one-way street.
“It’s a symbiotic relationship between the adopted pet and the student,” Christenbury said. “They see the pet as a grounding experience from back home. To have one here is to add that touchstone from home. It benefits their well-being, and I know that’s the same case for the animals.”
Despite the many positives, adopting an animal during college can come with challenges. Briscoe emphasized the importance of educating students before adopting.
“Adopting an animal is a big responsibility and takes time and patience,” Briscoe said. “Educating the student population in Oxford about all aspects of owning an animal is where we like to start: the good, bad, pretty and ugly parts of it.”
Briscoe said that animal shelters are often associated with negative stereotypes that are inaccurate.
“I think the misconception is that they are ‘damaged goods’ or not ‘trainable,’” Briscoe said. “Both of those are highly false. We have had dogs from our rescue become service canines, explosive detection canines, successful bird dogs or your standard best friend. Just because an animal comes from a shelter or a rescue does not mean that they cannot be successful.”
