Local animal shelters have been in trouble for a while. L.A. shelters are overcrowded, and the number of cats and dogs being put down this year has spiked. Which means that if you’ve ever thought about rescuing an animal, now is a good time.
And it’s very doable — even if you’re a full-time student.
One new pet parent is USC student Lucas Li, a sophomore urban planning major. About three weeks ago, he adopted Obi, a one-year-old Schnauzer mix. Li says adopting a pet can be hard work, but that it’s absolutely a great experience.
“Animals do take work, especially if it’s a dog, and you have to be absolutely sure that you’re prepared to take on that workload. However, it’s not impossible in the college setting,” Li said. “And I think people need to realize that, you know, if you adopt an older dog, especially, they are going to be a lot more settled down.”
Li believes that people looking into animal adoption should make sure having a pet aligns with their daily routines.
“People don’t realize that it’s actually all right to leave your dog for a couple hours at a time, as long as it’s not every day, all day,” he said. “It’s possible, you just have to make sure that you have the time and make the commitment to really treat that dog well and commit to its routine.”
Li met Obi at a Super Adoption event at the Rose Bowl, where there was a stage, live music, and hundreds of dogs and cats ready for new homes. He believes adoption events like this can help combat the overcrowding in shelters.
“The shelters by themselves have very limited funding and actually can’t do that much, but one of the ways they do make an impact is through these super adoption events,” Li said.
Li says adopting Obi at the Super Adoption event was an easy process that took about 15 to 20 minutes.
“So we had to pay nothing in fees, or have to get any shots. We just had to go to the vet to get a checkup and that was it,” he said. “So that was very helpful.”
Li encourages USC students to adopt a pet, especially if they are living in a dog-friendly apartment with multiple roommates. Having more people around means more socialization for the pet.
“If you have roommates and such, and like you guys don’t always have classes at the same time, it can be helpful to have other people being able to take care of the dog,” Li said.
With the holiday season coming up, students may be missing home or feeling lonelier than usual. Over the holidays, Li’s girlfriend will be in the apartment alone, so they felt this was the perfect season to adopt a new furry friend for company.
Whether you are looking for companionship, or a reason to get fresh air and walk around the neighborhood, a dog or cat might be a great new addition in your student life.