Hi,
I’m a senior and I’m pretty sure I will be going at least 5 states over next year for college, and only able to come home twice or 3x a year. And I’m worried because I have never not had a pet before. This sounds silly but I have had a dog since I was 2 years old and being with animals is an extremely vital part of my life. My pets bring me so much joy and a lot of times I don’t like to travel because I worry about them/ miss them too much. How can I get my animal fix in college? This sounds like it won’t be a big deal in college because I’ll be so busy, but the reality is I need animals in my life all the time. Thank you!
Volunteer at the local animal shelter. Or with a rescue organization or Humane Society.
Also, often professors will bring dogs on campus, and some schools bring in dogs during exam time for stress relief.
Volunteer at a shelter?
You could also offer your services as a pet sitter or dog walker/runner for families around campus.
Parent here…I would love to tell you that you won’t miss them but you will! I remember when I started college I was terribly homesick in the beginning and I remember saying to my mom on the phone, “If I could just see a dog.” I can still remember the day on campus I did see a dog! It made me so happy. But I did adjust and get use to not being with my pets daily. Everyone here has given you good advice. Not sure if your college will be in a residential town but you could always advertise to house sit/pet sit. I would love to have a college student take care of my animals for me when I go away. You could also get a job in a pet shop.
Probably not the case today, but at Cornell in the early 80s, does were almost allowed everywhere but labs and the dining halls. Most fraternities had dogs who would spend all day on campus…going to classes etc.
I took 8am classes and always started the day with a dog or two as company.
Some colleges allow students to keep dogs in their dorm rooms. This info is from guide books and social media, not directly from the colleges, so it needs to be confirmed, but:
Cornell and Eckerd come to mind as places that allow dogs in dorm rooms. I heard that Eckerd even allows dogs to walk with their owners at graduation. Also, I hear that Gettysburg has a tradition where the townspeople bring their dogs by on Mondays for students to play with them.
You will need to doublecheck this info, but most college do have info in their housing section of their websites about which pets, if any, are allowed.
@Empireapple @Otterma thanks for your answers (and everyone elses!) 
where can I advertise to pet sit? How could I get a job like that? I don’t think it’s a developed enough town to be involved in apps made specifically for pet sitting jobs. ( the city is Worcester ma by the way I’m looking at clark university, but this can apply to any college).
@TheGreyKing the thing is I couldn’t be happy knowing that while I’m in class my animal is cooped up in my dorm room. I know there’s no real solution to my problem though, it’s just going to be a very tough adjustment for me
Every community is different but there will probably be a bulletin board on campus (physical or online) where people post help-wanted and services-offered ads. A problem with offering this kind of service as a “professional” is that summer, winter, and spring breaks are the times when these services are most in demand. So this is more likely to work out for you as an informal, word-of-mouth kind of thing.
Another thought occurred to me…see if there are organizations in the community that serve housebound or elderly people. These organizations might appreciate having a volunteer on-call to help with temporary pet care and exercise.
If you aren’t required to live in the dorm freshman year you could get an off campus apartment and have a pet of your own, but remember it is a big responsbility, the pet will need care during breaks if you are away, and you will have to make sure it does not bother roommates.
Classified ads in the local paper are pretty cheap. Another place to advertise is a handmade sign at the local town library, stores/places in the community that have boards. Pet-co/Pet-Smart might have boards too. Sometimes an old fashioned sign is easier and works just as well as today’s technology to get the word out. But you could also see if there are any community pages on FB. For example, I live near a lake and I recently discovered that there is a lake association that has a FB page. I’ve learned about a lot going on right in my community by reading that page. You’ll be ok. I just remembered…my niece is a senior at George Mason…she got a job walking/running dogs! It pays really well and she stays in shape!
We have a bunny-cam so my daughter can see her bunny anytime she wants.
Also like other say, volunteer at pet shelters. Some colleges have a club for that.
Some dorms allow small pets like: fish, turtles, hamsters, mice, gerbils, iguanas, lizards, and hermit crabs are permitted in the on-campus residence halls
We get our dog’s sitters through rover.com
Write a letter to local veterinarians. Drop in on them and introduce yourself. Leave a notice on their bulletin board.