Students house illegal residents, cats and dogs

     Though Bobcat Village, like the residence halls, has a strict pet policy, the occasional rebel does try to get away with keeping illegal animals in the apartments.
     When housing employees spot an illicit pet creeping in a window seal, “How much is that kitty in the window?” is not the first question that pops into their minds.
     “They like to hang out in the window,” said Jen Maraziti, manager of apartment living at Bobcat Village.
     The rules are clear.  The only pets allowed are those living exclusively in water and that can be contained in less than a 10-gallon aquarium. 
     The department also makes use of inside sources to root out prohibited pets.
     “Also, believe-it-or-not, we’ll have roommates who’ll come and let us know that one of their roommates has a cat in there, because maybe they don’t like the smell of the cat, or if this person never changes the litter box,” Maraziti said.
     Freshman and Bobcat Village resident Jasmine Roberson has lived with some of these illegal aliens.  Two of her roommates have been caught keeping cats in the apartment. 
In order to keep from being discovered, Roberson’s roommates kept their cats in their room around the clock and kept the radio on to drown out the cats’ meows
     Roberson said she had previously talked to her roommates about the situation, expressing her disapproval. 
     “I don’t think cats should be in an apartment, period,” Roberson said.
     Eventually, her roommates were caught with the cats, and faced the consequences.
     Getting caught with an illegal pet results in a $100 fine, which covers the cost of treating the guilty party’s apartment for fleas.  Also, the owner must remove the animal from the premises.
      “Really, our apartments aren’t conducive to animals,” Maraziti said. “And that’s the main reason — it’s just not conducive. Raising a cat or dog is like raising a child.  There’s a lot that goes along with it. There are a lot of consequences to having an animal, and we want the best living environment here. It may be fun and great to have cats and dogs, but the cons outweigh the pros if you look at the differences between the two.”
     Bobbie Thompson, president of the Animal Rescue Foundation, said that in the past, they have been asked to pick up animals abandoned by their owners, usually during the winter and summer breaks.
     Thompson said that students sometimes acquire a pet before realizing that they do not have enough time or money to take proper care of the animal.
     January and October are the months when most college students approach the shelter to try to adopt pets. 
     Thompson, knowing that pets are not allowed on campus, said she takes special care when placing their animals in homes. 
     Anyone potentially adopting an animal from ARF must be at least 21 years old — a standard policy at many humane societies, according to Thompson.  ARF also requires that the adopter be a permanent resident of Georgia.  Those who work at the shelter are looking only for long-term homes for these animals.
    “If we (let someone) adopt an animal knowing full well it is not allowed on the campus, we are doing a disservice to that animal,” Thompson said.
     ARF encourages those who want to interact with animals to instead volunteer at the shelter.  Students can walk dogs and play with the cats.
     “They can come in here seven days a week to get their pet fix,” Thompson said.
     Until recently, Maraziti has worked as complex director at Parkhurst Hall, which she said rarely had pet problems. 
     “We’re not out to catch students by any means,” Maraziti said.  “Our goal is to make sure you’re abiding by the rules.  But if a cat’s in a window we address it immediately.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 9 2007. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry