The transition from being at home to going to college can be a lot for some students and having a pet can help that transition. “I think it helps a lot of people out,” Nalanie Pecora, senior English professional and creative writing, wine studies and psychology major and staff reporter at The Observer said. “I think, it [pets] definitely gives people the emotional support in themselves, and because college, for students who haven’t been doing it as long as I have, it’s really a struggle.”
According to the American Institute of Stress, 45% of American college students experience “more than average stress.” A survey done by beyondthetreat.com showed that 90% of college-student respondents found their stress levels lowered thanks to their furry friend.
Pecora, brought their dog, Apricity, to campus. “Apricity is a miniature Australian shepherd, and she’s deaf and has a little bit of sight issues,” Pecora said. “The word itself means warm sun on a winter day. So she meets all the requirements for the name.”
Many students at CWU have pets and rely on them in all different ways. “I got her as an ESA, so more or less she helps me,” Pecora said. “Being able to take care of her helps me realize that I need to take care of myself.” For some students, having a pet that they take care of can help remind them of the importance of their own personal well-being.
Although having a pet at school can be nice for the emotional support and the transition to college, it can be difficult to balance the workload of school and caring for an animal, especially a deaf animal. “It’s a little bit of a struggle, she definitely… knows when she can read body language really well, but she also struggles to tell us when she needs to use the restroom,” Pecora said. “There is the issue of she can’t hear us, so we have to bang on the floor or wait to get the vibration to hit her or turn the lights off and on, and that’s when she turns around, and she’s like oh there you are, and she’ll come running over.”
The Students at CWU own a wide variety of animals, Another CWU student Rayen King, sophomore social services major, brought with them a two year old Crested Gecko, who they call Cobalt. “Crested Geckos have a pretty simple routine… which makes them… great starter reptiles for most people,” King said. “They are from the New Caledonians and are arboreal, so they need tall tanks, so they can climb and jump about high up.”
Gecko’s are special pets and require a different routine and different forms of care. “They primarily eat fruit and small insects so I feed her a mix of both every couple days in a dish placed high up,” King said. “Cresties do best on their own and aren’t too keen on being handled but some tolerate it if it is done properly.”
