Pets Welcome at Stetson University

Ah, college. All those tough classes, the crazy parties, the dog walking, the flea-collar-purchasing...

That's right. Florida's Stetson University has tapped one of its dormitories to provide the first pet-friendly housing on campus starting next fall, reports WESH News in Orlando, Fla. School administrators say they believe that students bringing along pets will help relieve the stress of living away from home for the first time. According to Dean of Students Rina Tovar, "If they can bring Fido, or one of the Fidos, the family pet with them to school, it's going to help with that transition and really help with them feeling comfortable."

Stetson's Director of Housing and Residential Life, Justin Williams, tells Paw Nation that the pet-friendly housing will be found in Nemec Hall. 36 of Nemec Hall's rooms will be included as part of the program, allowing residents to share space with hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, mice, rats, cats, and dogs under 30 pounds. The building will even feature a dog park just outside its walls. A pet council will deal with any problems that may arise -- the animal residents fighting like cats and dogs, maybe? No word yet on whether the rooms will be connected by hamster tunnels or plain old human hallways.

Tags: college, dorm, pet-friendly