Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Furry friends have no place in dorm rooms

Dogs are a man?s best friend, or so they say.

They typically show unconditional love and friendship towards their owners, and provide great companionship.

But students living in the residence halls at Cal State Fullerton have to leave their furry companions at home since dogs are banned in the dorms.

Other pets, including any types of cats, lizards, snakes and birds are also not allowed.

Housing policy states: ?Animals or evidence of animals including food, cages or other supplies are prohibited in the residence halls/apartments at all times, even on a temporary basis.?

One exception to the policy are service animals, which are permitted in the residence halls to those who need them.

Fish are another exception and are allowed to be kept only in a small tank or bowl no larger than 5 gallons.

This is due in part because they are easy to take care of.

Another reason is that fish do not provoke allergic reactions in most people unless they are eaten.

?Fish are allowed because they can take up small spaces and their ? feces can be contained ? so fish are low maintenance, I guess,? said Madeline Stocks, 22, a health science major and resident advisor of the Sycamore residence hall.

According to the residence hall?s licensing agreement, pets are banned from the rooms because people can be allergic to cats and dogs, and snakes, lizards and mice can be considered dangerous.

Another factor in banning pets in the dorms is that containing their feces in a confined space could potentially pose as a health problem for students.

Residents who sneak a pet into the residence halls and are caught are bound to face consequences for their actions.

?I assume (the CSUF housing office) would remove the animal or ask the tenant to remove the animal themselves, and then I believe there is a fee with it,? said Stocks.

The fee is in place to enable the housing office to hire a clean up crew to get rid of the animals scent and any marks that it might have left in the room.

Yet with these consequences in place, the policy has not deterred some residents of the dorms from bringing in their pets from home.

Chris Verdialez, 18, a business major, said he has heard of a rat inside a dorm.

He said he has also seen bird cages in other rooms.

Meanwhile, Tim Giron, 18, a civil engineering major, said although he has never seen any birds in the dorms, he has seen people with their dogs.

Giron said animals would be great to have around.

?(The policy) kind of doesn?t matter to me, but it would be nice to have a pet with you ? It is something to play with and have fun. It?s like another friend with you,? said Giron.

While pets are not allowed at the residence halls, there are still some furry friends that roam around the buildings.

Residents have seen possums, squirrels, ducks and raccoons running around the dorms.

These animals seem to come from the neighboring arboretum, where they often scurry around searching for berries.

The dumpsters located right next to the dorms are easily accessible and provide a feeding ground for scavenging raccoons.

As these wild animals migrate towards the dorms searching for late-night snacks, some would fear that the wildlife could pose a threat to the students living in the residence halls.

Being wild animals, they are still dangerous, but students have nothing to fear as long as they stay away from them.

Stocks said these animals do not really bother the students.

She said they have never really tried to attack anyone while she has been here as a resident advisor.

So unless students would like to pay a fine for bringing their pet, or bring in either a raccoon or possum into the residence halls, it would be wise to leave them at home or in the dumpster.

Source: http://www.dailytitan.com/2013/04/furry-friends-have-no-place-in-dorm-rooms/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=furry-friends-have-no-place-in-dorm-rooms

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