Pet House

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The Pet House, also known as Monroe Hall, is a residence hall at Washington & Jefferson College that allows students to live with their family pets.[1][2] It has been identified as part of a growing trend of pet-friendly dormitories across the United States.[3][4][5]

Facilities

Monroe Hall is part of the Presidents' Row cluster of residence halls. It is one of several other "Theme Communities" developed by the college; others include "Leadership & Service Community" and the "International House."[6]

Origins and growth

Plans for the Pet House began shortly after animal lover Tori Haring-Smith took office as college president in January 2005.[7] She had been inspired by her own experience as a freshman at Swarthmore College, where she had a kitten.[7] After pitching the idea of a Pet House to the board of trustees and the student body, many of whom has visions of "animal feces everywhere and dogs barking and keeping people awake."[7] After persuading the rest of the administration that such a plan was feasible, college officials visited Eckerd College to see how their pet-friendly housing program operated.[7] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported in 2010 that "A recent visit to Monroe Hall found it quiet and clean. A large lawn around the dorm is where the pets can romp and play, often drawing the attention of students passing by.[7] The pet owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pets."[7]

During the 2009-10 school year, 10 students lived in the Pet House; that number jumped to 34 in the 2010-11 school year.[8] Thanks to the Pet House, Washington & Jefferson College was named to the No. 3 spot on the "Top 10 Pet-Friendly Colleges of 2010" by the website www.petside.com.[7]

Impact on the college community

The college administration believes that the pet house provides a good on-campus experience and improves the college's competitiveness in recruiting potential students.[8]

Policies

The college only permits "family pets" that have been owned by the student's family for greater than one year.[9] Cats, dogs (except large breeds), small birds, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, turtles, and fish are all approved for the Pet House.[9] All pets must have a clean bill of health from a veterinarian; all dogs and cats must be spayed or neutered.[9] Pets are not permitted in the classroom.[8]

References

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