Every year in September, a new wave of college students gets pets. The campus is flooded with puppies and kitten pictures fill up Snapchat. We all love animals, and when we get apartments it just seems logical to welcome one into our new homes with us. The problem, however, comes in May. Leases end, the year ends, and unfortunately, a lot of people's love for their pets end. They are no longer the cute kittens and puppies they were. Shelters fill up with surrendered animals, and abandoned dogs and cats get set loose in the woods.
It's easy for people to make excuses: their parents won't allow them to bring it home, they don't have pet-friendly housing where they're going, they didn't know how much commitment an animal was. These 'excuses' are the sorts of things that need to be thought through before bringing home a pet. A cat or dog is not a toy, it's not a cool gimmick to get girl's attention on campus, it's a long promise to provide care and a home for them for their entire life.
There are lots of benefits to getting a pet. Dogs have been shown to reduce stress and alleviate loneliness. They give a nice sense of responsibility when cared for properly. It's also just plain fun to come home and always have something be excited to see you. There are few things in life like seeing your dogs nose squished up against the window as you walk to the front door.
But before you get a cat or dog, think about what it will mean. They live anywhere from 10-20 years. That means you can graduate college, work, or even get a doctorate all in their lifetime. It means hundreds to thousands of dollars on food, equipment, and care. It means you can't spontaneously hop in the car for a beach trip or stay out multiple nights in a row because someone has to make sure the pet has been cared for. It means providing them with emotional companionship so they don't get lonely.
When a dog or cat is abandoned after less than a year of ownership, it takes a long time for it to fully recover, if ever. Getting something as a baby means you'll be with it for some of the most emotionally crucial months of its life. It will see you as it's person, it's caregiver, and it will love you. Don't betray that love by leaving it on the side of the road and sailing off into the wind. Don't let it wind up part of the system as one of the thousands of adoptable pets growing old in a shelter. Find a way to keep it, and you can grow old together.