There is a pets-in-housing theme in the US newspapers, today, Wednesday, April 24. USA Today, the nation's most widely distributed newspaper, includes an article about campuses allowing pets in dorms. But then the front page of Mississippi's Biloxi Sun Herald complains of a lack of affordable housing that allows pets.
The USA Today story, by Sharon L. Peters, is headed, "My roommate has 4 legs!; It's not a college horror story, just a dorm with pets." (Pg 11 B.)
The sweet article focuses on some individual stories in what "appears to be a growing college-life trend: pet-friendly dorm rooms offered to interested students." We read, "There are at least a dozen such colleges, and administrators and students alike declare the concept a hit."
We read that students with animals like it, and those without pets enjoy the interaction and sometimes intentionally ask for pet friend buildings. And we learn that it is financially beneficial for colleges as pet friendly housing fills up quickly while, when there is none available, "Many animal lovers have opted to live off-campus, which bites into colleges' housing income." We read, "The policies seem to have emerged in response to a pet-loving society and from recognition that animals can reduce stress and make acclimating to college easier."
There is a downside: "Shelters in many college towns report end-of-semester pet dumping or abandonment."
As a result, "Many colleges, in fact, don't allow recently acquired animals into pet-friendly dorms -- an effort to dissuade a spontaneous pet adoption by a student who merely wants company for a semester."
But we are told the ASPCA is "cautiously supportive" of the program, as long as it is well monitored.
And there is some delightful news: We read that some students, "apply for pet buildings so they can give foster care to animals from local animal shelters."
You'll find the full article on line at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-09-23-dorm-pets_N.ht
The Biloxi Sun Herald front page story, by Anita Lee, is headed, "Sorry, no pets in affordable apartments."
It tells us of apartments for which "developers receive tax credits they can sell to finance construction in exchange for renting a percentage of units to tenants with low to moderate incomes." Those apartments often have no-pet polices.
Tara High, from the Humane Society of South Mississippi is quoted: "To eliminate a whole group of people being able to have pets as part of their family is a big mistake."
You can read the whole article on line at
http://www.sunherald.com/local/story/836424.html
You can leave a comment on that page or send a letter to the editor at soundoff@sunherald.com
USA Today takes letters at http://tinyurl.com/hvsuz. The Mississippi story and countless like it across the country offer important information that the USA Today story gives us the opportunity to share. Shelters say the number one reason given by people relinquishing animals is that they are moving to somewhere that doesn't accept pets. Kids going off to college are a subset of that group. So in our letters sharing our positive response to the USA Today dorm story, we might look at the bigger picture, and the importance of animal friendly housing laws.
USA is a huge paper, but don't forget your local papers. They publish a good proportion of letters they receive -- some close to a hundred percent -- so why not take a few minutes to jot off a note in favor of animal friendly housing?
Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Remember that shorter letters are more likely to be published. And please be sure not to use any comments or phrases from me or from any other alerts in your letters. Editors are looking for original responses from their readers.
Yours and the animals',
Karen Dawn
(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. You may forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts if you do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this parenthesized tag line. If somebody forwards DawnWatch alerts to you, which you enjoy, please help the list grow by signing up. It is free.)
Please go to www.ThankingtheMonkey.com to read reviews of Karen Dawn's new book, "Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way we Treat Animals” and watch the fun celebrity studded promo video.
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Date: Wed Sep 24 20:19:45 2008
