The dog daze

When trudging through the dog days of the semester, sometimes a friendly, steadfast companion is just what a college student needs to get through the rough times.

It seems as though a pet epidemic has spread through GC, with puppies – young and old alike – frolicking across Front Campus while their owners are constantly bombarded with “oohs” and “ahhs” of adoration.

Although owning a dog in college is exciting and fun, a lot of time management, dedication and love goes into properly caring for pets during this busy time in our lives.

Sophomore Katie Boggs already owns one dog, but recently made the decision to foster a new furry friend, Nala, for two weeks, providing her with ample love and care.

“It’s been hard having two dogs,” Boggs said. “Nala isn’t potty trained, but besides that she isn’t difficult. The experience is rewarding.”

Fostering pets has become popular with college students who lead busy lives and are on tight budgets, but still want to lend a helping hand to an animal in need.

Milledgeville’s Animal Rescue Foundation sponsors special adoption days and campus events to find suitable homes for dogs and to inform students about adequate pet care.

Freshmen Caitlyn Heil and Caity McGinty are also new “parents” of puppies Cooper and Beans.

“I’m only fostering Beans for a week,” McGinty said. “It’s definitely rewarding and fun having a pet, but also distracting.”

Caring for a new pet brings on several responsibilities at once, and puppies require constant attention.

“Caring for a young puppy isn’t easy,” Heil said. “They’re like little babies.”

When the puppies leave their temporary collegiate foster parents, they will venture to other foster families until they find permanent homes.

Before you make the decision to own any pet in college, make sure to weigh all of the pros and cons. The experience is undoubtedly rewarding and full of love, but a huge responsibility.

Posted by Lindsay Shoemake on Nov 10 2011. Filed under Leisure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.