Anyone who knows me knows that I am a dog person. I love all dogs, especially Labrador Retrievers. However, since I lived with my parents in a small apartment before I went to college, my parents thought it was a bad idea to have a large dog in a small apartment. So, my dream of having a Labrador did not come true until I went to college in the U.S. But I must admit that although the dog brought me a lot of happiness, it was way more challenging than I thought to raise a dog while abroad. I am going to tell you why in a moment.
For most people, having a dog or a cat improves their physical and emotional well-being. Especially for people who live abroad and know little about the new environment, adopting a pet can be exciting and rewarding. Although there might be many benefits of adopting a pet, I still want to share some of my experience and emphasize the reasons why I would like you to think twice before you do it.
This is a picture of my dog: His name is Myla
Money
When you decide to adopt a pet, you need to be responsible for the rest of its life. You may spend a small amount of money to adopt a pet from some animal shelters, but you also must consider their daily living expenses, such as food, nutrition supplements, vaccines, grooming, toys, etc. You also need to consider the situation when they get sick someday. Will you be able to afford their monthly pet insurance fees and their medical costs? And what if you get an internship and need to relocate to another city? Will you be able to take them with you or pay someone to walk your dog or feed your cat? Are all these within your budget?
Living Space
Suppose you want to get a dog or a cat. In that case, you will probably consider off-campus housing because on-campus housing does not allow students to have dogs or cats unless you are in a particular situation and your pets are certified emotional support animals. When you search for off-campus housing, you must be careful about the animal policies listed in your lease agreement because some apartments do not allow animals in the building.
For small dogs and cats, living in a small apartment is fine. But for large dogs, you should check out a place with a larger living area. When I adopted my Labrador, I lived in a small apartment. There was not enough space for my dog to run and play. If I could do it again, I would choose to either live in a large house or adopt a smaller dog.
Time Commitment
As a college student, you might be struggling to manage your study schedule already. Having a pet means that you can manage your time better. Especially for a dog, no matter what size your dog is, you have to walk the dog every day and teach them how to socialize with people and other dogs. If you adopt a puppy, then the time you invested in training them might be twice as much as an adult dog. Even if you decide to adopt an adult dog, will you be willing to skip the party and go home to feed your pet?
A cat might be a better choice for people who are busy at work. Cats can live indoors, but it does not mean that you do not need to spend time with them. They still need your time to feed, play, brush and cuddle to make them feel loved and become relaxed around you.
You are an international student
Last but not least, if you are an international student like me, you may be going to go back to your home country after you graduate. If that time comes, will you be able to patiently go through the tedious and lengthy procedures to get all the documents your pet needs to enter your country successfully? When I graduated from LSA, I brought my dog with me to fly back to China. I spent lots of time counseling airlines and filing all documents required by Chinese customs.
This really sounds like I am discouraging you from getting a pet, but my point is, a pet requires a fair amount of time and care, and I want you to make an informed decision before you do so. If you feel lonely while abroad and want to have a pet as a partner, I highly encourage you to volunteer at an animal shelter, such as the Humane Society of Huron Valley in Ann Arbor. While you are volunteering, you can make lots of animal friends and human friends as well! If you have already thought it through and decided to adopt a pet, be responsible and enjoy the incredible adventure with your furry friends!
Written by Yaoqi Liao
Summer Orientation Peer Advisor
Graduate Student
China
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