It’s one of the most difficult times in a person’s life. Whether you are the parent who must learn to let go or the young adult who is leaving the nest for the first time, leaving for college is never easy. One of the hardest parts can often be having to leave that beloved pet that was always there to greet you at the door after school everyday and kept your feet warm in bed every night. Now some colleges around the country are discovering that by allowing pets on campus they are in fact helping students cope with the transition to adulthood. By allowing students to bring their pets with them, colleges are providing students with a piece of home that not only helps them feel more comfortable in their new surroundings and ease the effects of homesickness, but also opens them up to meeting and making new friends.

On average those campus’s that allow pets require the animal be less than 40 pounds, over 1-year old, and have been the students pet for at least a year. Some colleges even have specific dorms just for students with pets. Below is a list of several pet friendly schools:

• MIT
• UCLA
• Eckered College
• Vassar
• CALTEC
• Stephens (Missouri)
• State University (New York)
• University Of Pennsylvania

 While taking a pet to college does have several benefits, the student should know that an animal will add to the already overwhelming number of responsibilities they will face during their fours years away from home. “A lot of students think they can get a cute puppy and that's it—it's not a big deal—but there are things that need to be considered. The main thing we see (at the animal hospital) is usually students who haven't considered the financial aspect of having a pet, and students who are completely unaware of the care pets require.” Says DVM Jill Shook of the College Park Animal Hospital in Maryland. In addition to financial concerns, making frequent trips back and forth to the dorms in order to take care of their pets may not be a responsibility new students want to take on.