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Lock Haven University to allow pets on campus in spring 2019

By Wesley Coburn

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 09: Annie enjoys a story read by employee Glynn Jones at Lily's Kitchen Diner on November 9, 2010 in London, England. Opening for two months to help raise money for the Charity Dogs Trust - Lily's Kitchen Diner is open for doggy dining, relaxing with a book and tummy rubs. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 09: Annie enjoys a story read by employee Glynn Jones at Lily's Kitchen Diner on November 9, 2010 in London, England. Opening for two months to help raise money for the Charity Dogs Trust - Lily's Kitchen Diner is open for doggy dining, relaxing with a book and tummy rubs. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) /
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Lock Haven University is allowing pets on campus starting with the spring 2019 semester.

College is often miserable, but our pets make it tolerable. But it would have been a lot easier for most of us if our dogs (or cats) were allowed to live in the dorms with us.

Luckily for students of Lock Haven University, they will now have that option, as the central Pennsylvania school is now allowing pets to live on campus beginning with the 2019 semester.

“We believe that our students will benefit greatly from having the ability to have pets with them at college.,” LHU Communications Director Elizabeth Arnold said in an email. “We hope it will help students feel more comfortable, at home, and able to relax while in their residence hall—as if they were in their own home.”

Arnold hopes that it will increase students’ academic performance and improve retention and graduation rates.

Pets must be at least six months old and have been owned by the student’s family for at least three months, Cats, fish, hamsters, guinea pigs, dogs under 40 pounds and rabbits will be permitted, according to the school website.

Only North Hall will be open to animals, and they must wear leashes and IDs when outside the building.

Students will need to submit an application for their animal before they move in, requiring photos of the pet, vaccination records and a spay/neuter confirmation for cats and dogs.

North Hall will also routinely host events for those on campus with the shared love of animals.

North Hall Residence Director Emmy Borst has been a leading campaigner for the change of policy.

“Students who are comfortable where they live have greater success, and pets are a great source of comfort to many students,” Borst stated on the LHU website.

It will be excellent for students, but what about for the janitorial staff?

“Throughout the process of implementing this pilot program, our facilities department was consulted multiple times to alleviate potential concerns through a detailed policy,” Arnold said.

Dog O’Day learned of this news on Twitter through People magazine’s @PeoplePets account.

For more information, email Borst at eborst@lockhaven.edu or call at 570-484-2011.

LHU has slightly over 5,000 students enrolled and operates its own campus newspaper, as well as student-run radio and TV stations.

LHU competes in sports in the NCAA Division II as a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Their teams are known as the Bald Eagles.

The school is located in Lock Haven, Pa., a small city of about 10,000 half an hour west of Williamsport and about an hour northeast of State College. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Buffalo, N.Y., are all about three hours away.

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