<p>What are the chances my two top schools (Vanderbilt and Dartmouth) will allow me to take my dog to school next year? He is sick and I have to take care of him by keeping him physically active (something the rest of my family refuses to do); I'm afraid if I leave him here, he won't live much longer. How should I go about convincing these schools to allow me to keep a pet on campus?</p>
<p>If it’s against housing policy to have a dog/pet in the dorm, they most likely will not let you have a dog or other pet in the dorm.</p>
<p>Unless you have a documented disability and he is a trained service animal he won’t be allowed in campus housing. Your best bet would be to rent a pet friendly apartment.</p>
<p>You’re not going to be allowed to go against policy. Most dorms only allow pets like fish.</p>
<p>I’d also feel really bad for a dog cooped up into a dorm room all the time.</p>
<p>Unless he is a service animal I doubt it would fly. However, it is a compelling reason to allow you to live off campus in a pet-friendly apartment.</p>
<p>Not going to happen. I know how you feel because my dog is old and sick, and I’m really the only one who took care of him, and I still do when I come home. My mom has started to since I’ve left, but she doesn’t always have the time to, and my siblings are totally useless.</p>
<p>Maybe you really don’t want to if you live on campus, but try and get a pet-friendly apartment, like suggested.</p>
<p>You might just want to leave him and home and try to convince family to do be more helpful. It might be hard finding a place, and it’s going to take up a lot of your free time, no? It’s your first year of college, yanno. :</p>
<p>I was also the family caretaker for my dog–worse, shortly after I went to college, he tore both of his knee ligaments and required knee surgery, which due to finances he’s only gotten on one knee with no plans to get it for the other. He’s pretty darn overweight and needs to lose weight, but I’m the only one who ever exercised him. Or trained him. My mother has largely taken on taking care of him, but she works long hours and doesn’t have time to regularly exercise him.</p>
<p>I still couldn’t take him, though; my university mandates living in the dorms my freshman year and this is not the kind of thing dorms will make an exception for (unless the dog is a service animal, it’s not going to happen). Given the caliber of students they attract, both of your first-choice universities are probably very aware that theirs is a “seller’s market”–that is, if you make a big fuss about this and it contradicts their policy, they are far more likely to pass you over than to accommodate you. Sorry. </p>
<p>Would it be possible for you to hire a dogwalker to exercise him for your family? If you really think they will not take care of your dog well enough for you, this may be a viable option–I don’t think they would mind if you’re not asking them to do anything, and you might know a neighborhood kid who would be glad of the cash.</p>
<p>^ Good suggestion about the neighborhood kid. My parents are at work until at least 6pm, later during tax season, and when me and my brother went off to boarding school/college they paid the kids across the street to come over after school and play with her and feed her.</p>
<p>i’m a RA at vandy…no pets are allowed in the dorms. i actually found a cat this year lol</p>
<p>Actually you don’t need a disability to have a service animal, it is actually illegal to even force someone to tell you why they have the dog (disclosing your disability). That is what I’ve been told at least. Dorms ban dogs because there are people who live there who are alergic, don’t know about service dogs though.</p>
<p>“Actually you don’t need a disability to have a service animal, it is actually illegal to even force someone to tell you why they have the dog (disclosing your disability). That is what I’ve been told at least. Dorms ban dogs because there are people who live there who are alergic, don’t know about service dogs though.”</p>
<p>This law applies to people who take their dogs into public places like resturaunts, not to landlords (which your university would be) who are trying to enforce a no-pets clause. </p>
<p>Also, people who call their pets “service animals” when they don’t need them do a great job of making it harder for people who actually need service animals to assist them. Please do not go this route–it is morally and ethically dishonest, not to mention it’s abusing laws intended to protect the freaking disabled.</p>
<p>Good point. I don’t know the actual law around disability, only that service dogs are allowed where other dogs aren’t.</p>
<p>Having said that, I doubt a student could just declare a disability and bring an old dog to the dorms and think that the University wouldn’t blink. </p>
<p>I like the idea of getting a neighbor kid to walk the dog for exercise (if that’s the issue). And the apartment would be an option but not one I would think was the best idea for a freshman in a new city.</p>
<p>aw, this is so sad : (</p>
<p>If your situation is it is absolutely crucial the dog get physical exercise and u cant trust your family maybe u could hire a dog walker to do it daily. or u in the interest of the dog maybe u might want to find a different home for the dog before u leave for school. maybe a family friend or someone like a grandparent who is physically active basically someone who has time to devote your pet. its a tough decision but u may want to put the health of the dog first</p>
<p>Im sorry about your dog! :[
You should actually talk to the college, they might make an exception. Or just do off campus housing, if there are no rules for freshmen housing.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who replied.</p>
<p>I guess I’ll just have to convince my family to take care of him. The problem with a hired dog walker is that I usually take my dog on 5+ mile walks (up to 15 miles a day during the summer) and I don’t think too many people are willing to put that time in even for pay, although it is something I enjoy personally. I’m not some crazed animal lover, its just that my dog has a permanent auto-immune disease where his body converts muscle into scar tissue. Without strenuous exercise, this degenerative illness would eventually lead to paralysis, but I doubt my colleges care as you all have previously stated.</p>
<p>This has nothing to do with whether or not the college cares about the health of your dog.<br>
It is against most residential policies to allow animals within the dorms (except for the occasional goldfish). Dorm rooms are small enough with 2 to 3 people in them let alone the addition of a dog. </p>
<p>Pay someone to walk your dog or consider the idea of giving him/her to someone who has the time and desire to adopt it.</p>
<p>Yea I understand. Its all good though, I’ll figure **** out.</p>
<p>On a related topic, how much is a typical (basic necessities, nothing fancy) off-campus apartment compared to college room and board fee? I’m not asking for specfics, just a general comparison.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>BFK, I’m so impressed and moved by what you do for your dog. Out of curiosity, how old is he?</p>
<p>I think unless you can convince your family to do it, you’re going to have to either hire someone (I’m sure there’s someone out there who could walk him, if you have a good enough friend or if you pay someone enough), or you might have to give him up to someone, like nysmile said, who has the same desire and time you do to take care of him. Or if living off campus is still an option, and you can and are willing to go that route, find a place that will let you keep him there. It’s still a big time commitment for a you, but if you can do it, all the more power to you.</p>
<p>Maybe if you tell your family they can split up the walk? Like, someone walks him a mile, then another person does, then another person does all in a row? So someone would take him out, bring him back to the house, take him back and bring him back, etc. Or you could hire multiple dog walkers and do that. That way it’s not one person making such a big time commitment. </p>
<p>I don’t know. I hope it works out. :[</p>
<p>You need to check the residential policy at the school you plan to attend. Some schools require students to remain on campus for the first two years. Some colleges require all freshmen to live on campus. If you are allowed to live off campus, you may have a hard time finding an apartment that allows pets.</p>