For many Ole Miss students, living off campus comes with many new personal responsibilities. For some, living off-campus means having the opportunity to welcome a pet into their home and become responsible for a furry friend.
Katy Mueller, a junior living off campus who owns both a kitten and a puppy, said she always owned a pet growing up and felt like she was missing something without one at school.
“The responsibility of a pet, whether people notice it or not, is something people want,” Mueller said. “Taking care of another living being makes someone feel important.”
Senior Ashley Counce said she seized the first available opportunity to adopt her seven-and-a-half month old Teacup Yorkie from her parents’ friend. Unlike Mueller, she did not grow up with a pet in the home.
“I think students adopt pets for the attention that it brings,” Counce said. “Others grew up pet owners or lovers or have even been deprived of the pet experience, and this is their first opportunity to have a pet of their own.”
Counce’s parents were more than okay with her adopting a dog to keep her company while she lives away from home, Counce said.
Some students, however, don’t feel confident taking on the responsibility of owning a pet during the hustle of their college years. Sophomore Cody Marlowe said he did not feel he could give his full attention to a pet while balancing school, work and a social life. Although he is not currently a pet owner, Marlowe said he’d be open to the possibility of adopting a dog his senior year.
“College students make great pet owners,” said Jenn Petermann, executive director of adoptions at Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society.
Petermann said there are a great mix of college students who look into adoptions and becoming pet owners. The monthly goal for adoptions at Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society is at least 100 adoptions per month. Petermann said 35 percent of those adoptions are made by college students.
Although Petermann said people primarily go to the humane society looking to adopt dogs, cats make great pets for college students, too. One advantage of owning a cat is a feline’s ability to take care of itself, as long as the owner provides food and water, Petermann said.
The Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society adoption process includes a paper application, previous veterinarian reference, verification with parental guardians if the person adopting is under 21 and verification by the property owner if the potential adopter does not own their own residence. This process ensures the adoption provides the best home possible for the animals, Petermann said.
Anyone interested in adopting a pet from the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society can contact the main office at 662-236-7631 for further information on pet adoptions and the process of becoming a prospective pet owner.
