Sequoia Ireland
In going to college, there are always going to be things students leave behind. Friends, family, and a general sense of comfort, as well as in many cases, a beloved pet.
To maintain this all important connection, many keep pictures around their room, some even stay in touch over the phone.
“I seriously have more pictures of my dog than I do my own family,” Leigh Tyler, freshman in biological sciences, said. “My mom puts them on the speaker phone.”
Just remembering she has two dogs to welcome her home is enough to brighten her day.
Some, such as Becky Sherman, junior in chemistry, don’t think about them because it is too hard. But as summer approaches, many students’ thoughts return, slowly, to home.
“I go home and [my family and pets are] there, and it’s nice,” Steven Burgess said.
A 29,000-member Facebook group even proudly declares “I love college, but I miss my dog.”
And though N.C. State doesn’t allow students to keep most kinds of animals, several students proudly state they’d gladly care for their pets here if they were able to. Others choose to live off-campus in order to have their pets.
However, there are several outlets for those students in need of a furry, or not so furry, fix. Often during exam weeks, Campus Activities offers Pet-A-Pooch, where people looking for a little relief can play with a friendly canine before returning to the soul-crushing monotony of work.
Groups like the Companion Animal Club, twice a month, treat students to a guest speaker and a related group of animals, ranging from herpetologists to the Triangle Greyhound Society.
Students can also get information on the proper way to take care of various animals, a great benefit if someone were to try and adopt a snake or other such exotic animal in the near future.
Pets can be an important part of the person we become, giving us something to love and look forward to. Samantha Diebert reminisces about how her dog, Tito, “will howl into [a karaoke] microphone.” She’s looking forward to returning to that sweet, singing dog.