Some Colleges Welcome Pets In Dorms to Reduce Students' Stress, Anxiety, Homesickness 🐕

[appalachiablue]

- These colleges are welcoming pets in dorms to reduce students’ stress and anxiety, AP News, Aug. 27, 2025.
------
Crossing paths with dogs, cats and other animals is part of campus life for students at Eckerd College, a liberal arts school in Florida that allows pets to live in dormitories. Sophie Nocera, an Eckerd senior, said she probably knows the names of pets better than her fellow students.

“That’s the case for a lot of the students,” said Nocera, who lives on the campus in St. Petersburg with her Border collie, Zuko. “When I’m walking my dog, I often hear, ‘Oh my god, hi, Zuko!’ It’s like I’m not even there.” Some colleges and universities around the country welcome pets in campus residences, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to Stephens College in Missouri.

For students, the companionship can help reduce stress, anxiety and homesickness. The colleges also see benefits for student engagement and helping them build connections with one another. Federal law requires public and private colleges to allow service animals and emotional support animals in student housing. But growing numbers of schools are allowing pets, with various restrictions.

Not all animals are welcome on pet-friendly campuses. MIT allows only cats, in limited numbers and in preapproved spaces. At Eckerd, students can bring their family pets to live with them on campus after their first semester. The college requires pets to have been part of students’ home life at least six months before coming to campus and must not be venomous or aggressive... - More,
https://apnews.com/article/pets-dorms-mental-health-dog-therapy-stress-0c5f8eece190b55ea4ba5fd986d4d315