The campus received an email March 2, which outlined the College’s new policy regarding animals on campus grounds and buildings. This policy, which will go into effect on June 1st, prohibits animals in all campus buildings unless they are for research, certified as a therapy/ service animal, fish, or in the homes of the residence hall professional staff.

“This policy is strictly to promote the wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff” the Interim Director of Human Resources, Barb Lundgren said.

However, many students feel that this policy is taking away a very powerful form of stress relief and love that animals bring to them. It did not go unnoticed that the dogs that are normally brought in during exam week, to help liven up the campus, were not here last fall.

“The dogs make everything a bit brighter” Sophomore, Alex Kelley said.

There have been numerous studies done that show the positive affects of dogs and human interaction including a reduction in stress, loneliness, and anxiety. One study which appeared in Frontiers in Psychology, reported that human and canine interaction increases the level of oxytocin which is directly related to stress relief and the lowering of blood pressure.

The new policy will also force Amp and Clooney, two dogs commonly found in the philosophy department, off campus.

“Over the years, I have very much enjoyed having my dog on campus; I must selfishly admit that the policy makes me very sad. But the real reason I’m sad has to do with the fact that I have had the privilege of witnessing the power of dog-human interactions multiple times a day, every day. I have seen the “foot traffic” in our department skyrocket. I have had the opportunity to interact with a much wider variety of students on campus than I see in my classes, because they come to see my dog, or stop me on the sidewalk to talk with my dog. People I have never met know my dog, and stop to talk to him. People who have done poorly on exams stop by to tell my dog about it. People who find it very difficult to talk with people find it easy to talk with my dog. People who miss their dog come to be shed on by my dog. People pretend to come to meet their philosophy professor, when really they just want to sit on the floor next to a dog,” philosophy professor and owner of Amp, Lisa Heldke said.

The College states in their new policy that “pets can pose various health and safety risks to the campus community including allergic reactions to animal dander, excessive noise, discomfort around animals, fear of animal bites, and disease transmission.”

This does not consider the benefits that dogs may provide on campus.

“I want to be clear that I have a deeply vested interest in this issue (I like being with my dog), but if it were only my vested interest, I would not say a word about the policy. It is because I believe that, for some (not all) members of our community, dogs contribute powerfully to their mental wellbeing. I believe that dogs are so valuable for this purpose that it would be worth the college’s while to create one zone of the campus where dogs are welcome, and where those who love dogs can go to encounter them. A number of workplaces, including colleges, have become dog- friendly zones, precisely because of their documented contribution to mental health” Professor Heldke said.

As Professor Heldke stated, many colleges have invested dog-friendly zones, in fact Stephens College has allocated a $3,000 scholarship to students willing to foster and rehabilitate not only dogs but other animals as well. Successful businesses such as Google and Amazon all open up a friendly workplace environment by allowing pets to be brought in.

In each of these places however, there is a pet-free zone where people who are allergic to dander, are afraid of animals, or simply do not like them, do not have to worry about encountering them.

A study conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University found that between two groups, one working with a dog present and one working without a dog present, the group without the dog showed significantly higher rates of stress than the group working with the dog.

So, where can or perhaps, where should, the College go from here in addressing the Pet Policy? Many campuses have already set a good example in how dogs and service animals can be incorporated into campus life, without causing problems with students and faculty.

At Kent State University they have implemented a program called “Dogs on Campus” which was initially “to uplift the spirits of homesick college students who miss their pets” but has a much wider reach. “In addition to visits to campus residence halls, the Dogs on Campus volunteers are called in for stressful situations and campus emergencies” the website states. It is a college controlled pet therapy program that reaches a wide and important audience.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by the writer are solely those of the individual. They do not necessarily represent the stance of The Gustavian Weekly on the college’s new policy.