The term “puppy dog eyes” exists for a reason.
When a dog — or any pet, for that matter — gazes up at you with those sad, begging eyes, this act is a tug at the heartstrings of your soul.
Thanks to TV shows from the ’90s like “Pound Puppies,” it has been ingrained in our heads to rescue every animal we see in danger. This might not always be a good idea for college students — however honorable it may seem at the time.
I love animals, and I hate seeing those commercials of abused or lost pets. If I had the money, I would save all of those critters! I swear, Sarah McLachlan!
But I am also in college, and I realize that buying a pet while attending school is unfair to me as well as my “pet pal” — with the exception of a fish. Fish tend to be easy to handle, unless it’s a shark, in which case you might have some problems.
Any pet, like a child, is an investment of time and finances. There are the costs of veterinarian visits, food (it’s called Fancy Feast for a reason), grooming, and so much more.
Add that to the costs of textbooks, and then you’ll see why this could pose as a problem.
Now, there is the conflict of time management; pets owned by college students sometimes don’t get enough time with their owners.
There is nothing I find more offensive than owners who keep their “fluffy wuffikins” inside for most of the day. This especially is problematic for dogs that naturally have an abundant amount of energy.
Walking, playing, swimming — outdoor activities are one way that pets can bond with their humans.
We have so many loose animals that run around our campus, and some, if not most, are abandoned pets from owners who could no longer afford to care for them.
Animals need love and care, rescues especially, but they need to enter homes in which they do not have the high risk of becoming burdens.
That’s why if you want to get your own little furry companion, you need to wait until you are out of college and financially stable.
I speak from experience; when I was a freshman living in Hamil Hall, I rescued a small kitten outside the dorm, whom I ironically named “T-Roy.”
He was so little, and it took me an entire two days to catch him and save him from the housing parking lot. When I was finally able to gain his trust, I remember holding him to my chest and carrying him inside to a friend’s room in Gardner Hall.
He was so tiny and feeble, and he gave me that look that could make a mountain cry.
I wanted to keep him, I wanted to take care of him, but I had to let him go to another family.
He needed people who could give him more time and care than I could afford.
Rather than buying a pet in college, you can instead help animals by volunteer work, or by helping with rescues.
As hard as it is to say “no” to the puppy dog eyes, please resist — for your sake, and the animal’s.
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