We've all heard the saying "Man's Best Friend." This usually applies to dogs, but let's be real—some people just aren't dog people and handle cats, rodents or reptiles much better. I say more power to you if you aren't allergic to cats, terrified of rats or freaked out by snakes like I am. But what good does it do to be any kind of animal person if there's virtually no place to keep them in the high country?
I've learned from experience that finding a pet-friendly apartment is pretty difficult to do in Boone. Unless you have a fairly forgiving budget. Or want a ton of roommates (and no, you can't each have a pet; only two animals per unit). Or have pets over a year old. Don't forget the weight restriction. And breed restriction. And the extra deposit. Monthly pet rent, too. Oh! And my personal favorite, the whole these-terms-are-subject-to-change-upon-the-landlord's-desire catch. Yeah, it's pretty difficult to say the least.
Don't get me wrong, there are some pet-friendly complexes—I can think of maybe ten off the top of my head even as I write this. But again, pets allowed at these properties have to meet a variety of criteria, and ten locations in a city of 18,211 people (in 2013, according to a Google search of Boone's population) really isn't much. Especially when you take into consideration that most of the city's population is made up of students, as Appalachian State University is home to over 17,900 of them. And if only about 5,600 live on campus in dorms (which are also anti-pets, but that's a whole other story), that leaves 12,300 students living in off-campus housing. Of course, not every student wants a pet, but even if only half of these off-campus dwellers did want one, that's 6,150 pet parents and not nearly enough housing for those people or animals.
I understand that some landlords don't want pets on the property because pets are like kids-- potentially messy, noisy and stinky. But isn't that what the pet deposit is for? Personally, I feel as if there are so many positives to having a pet that there really should be more pet-friendly living situations available to students. For instance, one article writes "that pets can alleviate depression, reduce anxiety, decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol and provide some real benefits for university students." And for students dealing with very real disorders, having a pet could be the difference between life and death. Another article on the subject states that in a study of the interactions between pets and people, "College students were more likely than the older participants to say their pet helps them get through hard times." By having a pet, students might feel more motivated to push through the "hard times" that too often overtake them.
Many housing options in Boone recognize the health benefits of having pets but require the pet be registered as an ESA (Emotional Support Animal) before they'll allow them on the property. While I appreciate the official nature of having a pet registered, I don't believe that this should be the determining factor for having a pet. So, as I watch the city of Boone erect another optometrist office off 105 or yet another hotel off 421, I have to wonder-- why not build more pet-friendly housing, where both a pet and a student can have a much healthier home?
