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Originally Posted by livingdustmops  I sure would like to see the statistic's of how many college students still have their dogs after college...I doubt very few from my experience with rescue and a University town. While it can happen I am guessing many of the dogs are given to the parents or turned into shelters or worse..left to run loose. It happens. Many of the dogs also end up pregnant. The other piece is after college and starting a new job...and finding apartments who will take the dog.
I hope the ones responsible don't encourage ones who are not...call any shelter in a college town and they will tell you what is really going on. |
I'd like to see those statistics, too. Getting a puppy while you are in college is a (hopefully) 15 year commitment to the dog. Those 15 years will probably be the most unsettled of your life. When you graduate, jobs may require long hours or long commutes. Most likely you will rent for awhile and it can be difficult to find pet friendly rentals in many areas. Even when you do, they have a limit on the # of pets allowed, usually one or two.
Flash forward a few years and you may want to get married and have children. DH may not like dogs or come with a dog who may not be good around smaller dogs. Many pets are given up when babies are on the way or later on due to children's allergies.
Also remember that as your dog ages, the vets bills will increase. If you are paying off college loans, perhaps a mortgage on a house, trying to pay for a wedding or daycare, a $1000 vet bill for tests and treatment may be difficult to handle.
Unless you have a crystal ball, it is not possible to make a 15 year commitment to a pet when you are a college student.