Living independently in college can bring unforeseen responsibilities: dealing with landlords, utility bills, cooking and loneliness. Some students adopt a pet, thinking it will add comfort and joy to their lives.
But pets can bring on unexpected problems, something that junior Asia Chance became familiar with after adopting their dog Simba.
“When I got him I did end up dropping like $400 to have surgery,” Chance said. “He was having really bad rectal prolapses. He had worms; he had intestinal worms.”
While Chance might have been willing to make an unexpected financial investment in their pet, other students are not in the same situation. Junior Alexis Gage finds herself facing pet-related fees that she doesn't want to pay because they do not concern her Yorkie's health.
“She’s about five pounds and she’s crazy. She likes to chew on things, which is a problem because, low-key, I’m not paying the pet fee,” Gage said.
Gage’s apprehension comes for two reasons: the pet fee for her living arrangement is $300 down with an additional $25 a month, and her actions have parental approval.
“I was like, ‘So, Mom, are you okay with me sneaking this dog in?’” Gage said, “And she’s like ‘Yeah, if you get caught just tell them she was visiting.’”
Some students worry that pet owners at UNC may be shirking pet-related duties far more harmful than Gage’s dodging of the pet fee. Senior Juhi Patel, who regularly volunteers at the Orange County Animal Shelter, says that she has seen neglect happen from student pet owners.
“I’d say they are pretty irresponsible and not ready to have a pet. A lot of them think that they can balance school with having a pet and they think they can take on that responsibility,” Patel said. “And it’s weird because a good amount of my friends that have pets are also athletes at UNC, which doesn’t make sense to me because they literally have no time to take care of their pet at all.”
