Looking for a good school that is exotic friendly - please help!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hello!</p>

<p>I am searching for a school in an area that is exotic friendly. I own a fennec fox and plan on taking him with me to school. Here are some things about me:</p>

<ul>
<li>I REALLY enjoy places that are warm, would love to end up in Florida. There is no way I could go to a school that is often cold, such as Philly. I live in Virginia, and I hate the winter months here even though it's not that bad.</li>
<li>I am completing a year at community college currently</li>
<li>As for size, do not want anything TOO small... Big schools do not bother me, seems that there will be more people to meet. I would rather not have 100+ students in my class, but if the school is great in other aspects then this is no big deal.</li>
<li>I am not looking for a school that is very difficult to get into. To give some insight, I was waitlisted at Virginia Tech and James Madison University (two Virginia schools) and had a 3.5 weighted/unweighted GPA with no AP classes. I got a 28 on the ACT, with a 33 on the english part of it. I believe I got a 1800+ on the SAT. I still want to be challenged, but doubt any top universities would accept me. (Just being realistic)</li>
<li>I'm looking for a school that isn't in a huge city, if any of you are familiar with Virginia Commonwealth University or Richmond, I visited and wasn't a fan of how unsafe the city felt. I wouldn't want anything less than what Virginia Tech had for a surrounding area, and even then it was a little sad to see! Once again, if the college is great in other areas its OK if it lacks a little in the surrounding town.</li>
<li>I want to be in greek life, so do not mind if most of the school is into it. It would actually be preferable if greek houses were not allowed (I doubt they would allow my little guy to come! lol) but not a deciding factor of course.</li>
<li>Would love a place that isn't super unbalanced sex wise, sadly most nice schools I am looking at are 60/40 girls/guys</li>
<li>Race wise, I'm white. In no attempt to be racist, I usually hang out with people who are like me. I have no problem going to a place where other races are, and even have some great friends that are not white, but I would like for the school to be predominantly white (I'm sorry if this offended anyone, it was not my goal, just trying to be honest)</li>
<li>I am looking for a good party school! Not that I am planning on only partying or anything, but I do want to have fun and not go to a school that is against that (ie. not interested in a "dry" school)</li>
<li>I am not looking for anything religious</li>
<li>I would love to have a school that is very into school spirit, but this isn't something that is needed</li>
<li>I have a GI bill to pay for school so cost isn't a factor</li>
<li>Do not want a commuter school</li>
<li>I am looking for a school that has a decent vet program!</li>
</ul>

<p>Here are the states that allow the private ownership of Fennec Foxes (for those of you who are familiar with the laws, I know that I must also contact counties):</p>

<ul>
<li>Alabama</li>
<li>Arizona</li>
<li>Arkansas</li>
<li>Delaware</li>
<li>Florida (would LOVE to live here - especially in Tampa, I have been looking at UT but it doesn't seem like it's the best?)</li>
<li>Idaho</li>
<li>Illinois</li>
<li>Indiana</li>
<li>Possibly Kansas</li>
<li>Maine</li>
<li>Michigan</li>
<li>Mississippi</li>
<li>Missouri</li>
<li>Montana</li>
<li>Possibly Nebraska</li>
<li>North Carolina</li>
<li>North Dakota</li>
<li>Ohio</li>
<li>Oklahoma</li>
<li>Pennsylvania</li>
<li>South Carolina</li>
<li>South Dakota</li>
<li>Tennessee</li>
<li>West Virginia</li>
</ul>

<p>Thank you so much to anyone who can help me.. I am so lucky to have found this forum! I understand that this is a lot to ask, I honestly just do not know where to start. For anyone who does go to college and has brought their pet, did you find it difficult to find pet friendly apartments?? This is also something that worries me. </p>

<p>Thank you so much!!</p>

2

<p>What kind of space does a fox need?
I’m guessing to start that you will need a school that does not require students to live on campus. Secondly, you will need a community around the school that has available rental housing of the right kind.
After all these years on CC, this is a new question!</p>

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<p>He only gets up to 3 pounds. I keep him in a 3 story ferret cage when I am unable to watch him, and at all other times he has free roam of the house. So really not much space at all, maybe as much as a cat would need.</p>

<p>This will be my sophmore year so it does not matter too much about freshmen being required to live on campus. I was also considering having him stay at home with my mom the first year to stay in dorms, but I don’t want to spend all 3 years without him so do want to go to a state where he is legal.</p>

<p>Thanks for your response :slight_smile: If possible I would love to live in on-campus apartments, does anyone know if they are pet friendly?</p>

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<p>Hi,</p>

<p>The problem is that MANY good schools have a requirement that freshmen live on campus and typically pets other than fish are not allowed because of allergy concerns of others…</p>

<p>However, once you are a soph and move off campus, you may be able to have your pet in the states/counties allowed.</p>

<p>Oops…just saw that you’re a transfer student…</p>

<p>I think my son’s off-campus (school owned) apartment allows small pets, but I don’t know about that particular animal. I have seen residents with small pets there.</p>

<p>Do you have to live in “on-campus” housing? What about housing that is across the street but not on “university property”?</p>

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<p>I don’t have to live on campus, it’s just prefered because I would love to be with all of the kids from my school :)</p>

<p>Right now I am looking at University of South Florida, which seems really nice and in my ball-park.</p>

6

<p>Have you looked at UCF?</p>

<p>Before you go further, a lot will have to do with your cc transcripts. </p>

<p>The one thing I would also say to you, is you want to do the vet thing, but your ACT was 28, and the English was 33. That means your Math and Science were in the 23 ball park. Vet is going to not only be bio, but all sciences and Math is going to be included for this major. Math and Science appear to be your achilles heel.</p>

7

<p>There are two issues: state/local law <applies to=“” both=“” university=“” housing=“” and=“” off-campus=“”> and what the university allows in its housing units. </applies></p>

<p>As your goal is university housing, check the school website>housing section to see if you can find any posted rules re: pets. If nothing, call the folks in housing and ask!</p>

<p>I’d never heard of a “fennec fox,” which might be a response you get from housing folks, i.e., well, we allow xyz pets, but what is a “fennec fox?”</p>

<p>When I Googled it, I found this among other sites, which suggests some states don’t even allow them, e.g., California. Obviously, don’t take a website representation as gospel–folks can misinterpret things, laws change, etc. They do have a link that purports to summarize all state laws re: “fennec fox” possession as pets.</p>

<p>[Exotic</a> Endeavors-Fennec Foxes](<a href=“http://www.exoticendeavors.com/fennec_foxes.html]Exotic”>http://www.exoticendeavors.com/fennec_foxes.html) </p>

<p>Consider whether you will be able to provide a healthy, safe and happy environment for your fox. I adopted a cat from a shelter in grad school, but quickly realized I wasn’t going to be a humane pet owner considering my academic, work and social life. My cat became my dad’s new best friend!</p>

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<p>Just googled it…so cute!</p>

<p>I think you’re going to have to live in off-campus apt since Campus-owned housing usually has “pet rules” because of allergy concerns of the others in your apt.</p>

<p>I think you should go to the dorms for one year to establish yourself and THEN move off-campus (to housing that is super-close to campus ) that has lots of other students living there.</p>

<p>I am looking for a school that has a decent vet program!</p>

<p>do you mean “pre-vet” program? It doesn’t matter if the school has a vet school on campus. </p>

<p>BTW…since your Science and math ACT may be low, you may end up changing your mind about becoming a vet. You have to be very strong in the sciences to get accepted to med school.</p>

<p>University of Tampa is private. I don’t think the GI bill covers private school tuition.</p>

9

<p>

USF was the first school I thought of. Oddly enough, I have a friend there with several fennec foxes of his own.</p>

<p>USF has an above average biology program and an excellent marine biology program; it should be adequate for pre-vet preparation.</p>

<p>

On the contrary, it can matter quite a bit. Vet schools typically require at least 200 hours of veterinary experience, and a mix of small and large animal handling is preferred. A student with access to a vet school/hospital would be well prepared for vet admissions. Such schools are also more likely to have the animal science courses and other specialized pre-reqs that some vet schools require.</p>

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<p>There are thousands of suntanned two-legged foxes on USF’s Tampa campus.</p>

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<p>*Vet schools typically require at least 200 hours of veterinary experience, and a mix of small and large animal handling is preferred. A student with access to a vet school/hospital would be well prepared for vet admissions. *</p>

<p>Volunteering or working at an Animal Hospital in the area of the school would suffice.</p>

<p>Since the OP is looking in the southern areas, I can attest that the south is absolutely loaded with animal hospitals. </p>

<p>We don’t know what the OP’s budget is. I know the OP has GI benefits, but what will that cover? I don’t think it covers expensive private school tuition.</p>

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<p>I know GI bill limit is 80k. </p>

<p>And about the low science/math - yes, that is something that I am worried about. I have always wanted to be a vet and work with animals my entire life. I have 2 years experience helping to treat horses (although I would rather deal with smaller animals) and a few months working in a kennel. I’m hoping to just study hard through all of my science classes that are required, until I get into the stuff that really interests me (such as animal treatments, animal structures, etc.) Math is something that I’m decent at but do not enjoy. I’m taking precalc and applied calc in college in hopes to get these maths out of the way, but I fully intend on getting As in them.</p>

<p>Thanks for everyone’s suggestions and help! From what I understand, I don’t think people are allergic to Fennec Foxes… They also only shed (minimally) once or so a year. (But I understand that usually allergies come from the saliva from the animal licking itself… hmmm)</p>

<p>Txartemis, I know that I would have to be careful with state/local laws as said in my original post. The reason I am really looking into USF is because I know that Tampa is an exotic friendly area (most of Florida is!) and I know quite a few people that own them there.</p>