Whether you reside at a University dorm or in a campus apartment, there are countless things-that-go-bump-in-the-night that can keep you from your direly needed sleep: Parties, garbage truck routes that start before daybreak, the next door neighbor with a nasty and very cough-addled case of bronchitis. 

Recently, though, it hasn’t been any of these aforementioned commotions that’s left me sleepless in Urbana. For me, it’s been the shrill and perpetual barks coming from a neighbor’s lapdog. 

Lately, I’ve had to endure multiple hours straight (not exaggerating here) of barking and scream-like sounds. These noises have occurred at various times of day, as well as — for similar increments of time — the middle of the night. The dog must clearly be in need of something for the yapping to persist so loudly and frequently. Given the dog’s sheer yap volume, it’s pretty hard to ignore, particularly at 4:00 in the morning, and I have to wonder whether the barking is caused by some degree of lackluster dog parenting. 

This anecdote is personal, but the message it projects spans a larger, campus-wide stretch: If you’re a college student considering the adoption of a new non-human friend into your life, it’s important to consider all the responsibilities and limitations that come with housing an animal.

But my sleeplessness doesn’t even place a fluorescent peg in the Lite Brite that is injustice compared to the possible canine suffering that’s come about as a result of inadequate care.

Now, I have no tangible means by which to declare these pet-owning neighbors uncaring — I have a pet Chihuahua-Papillon mix back home, and thus I know from personal experience that the breed is often characterized by incessant barking. 

But, regardless, the neighbor dog’s ceaseless crying does inspire me to consider the factors and lifestyle circumstances that must be in place before one even fathoms caring for a loving but very dependent, non-human creature.

We have ample research findings that show the positive impact of cats and dogs on medical patients and the elderly — consider the growing usage of “therapy dogs” in inpatient and outpatient hospital programs, and even in our own Undergraduate Library during finals week.

Research suggests that the same comforting, stress-alleviating results can be observed in pet-owning college students. The feelings of isolation and loneliness that often arise throughout the transition from home to college should be familiar to many. 

The findings of an Ohio State University study suggest that living with a pet can help younger people who lack a well-defined, geographically close circle of friends cope with feelings of sadness and stress, as well as help keep feelings of isolation at bay.

So all in all, pets are great: They can cheer you up from a particularly downtrodden mood, they can lick your face and maybe even do something cute enough on camera to land you viral status on the world wide web. The problem is that while pets are great to have around, they also require a good deal of work.

If a University student isn’t capable of adequately caring for a pet, however, I believe there is a danger of placing onto the animal the very stress and anxiety it’s helped you to discard. 

Pets can be sweet and forgiving — they are givers of unconditional love, and for this reason I, from time to time, much prefer their company to a human presence. Although animals might be kinder and simpler than humans, it is a grave mistake to believe that they don’t require a similar level of care and keeping. 

Let’s consider the size of an average crappy, cheap college apartment. Mine, fortunately and unfortunately, is on the crappier and cheaper end of the scale. So, for a comparably cheaper price than, say, one of those hulking towers on Green Street, my roommate and I get a teensy-weensy 600 square feet. 

On average, I’m out of my apartment, tending to various matters — class, rehearsals, studying — for roughly eight hours per day. So, I’d best get to walking the hypothetical dog I have sitting around in my very small apartment with regular frequency. All day is a long time to be sitting alone and untouched and unfed on a stained linoleum floor, even for a dog. 

There are reasons both economical and ethical that might dissuade a college student from attempting to care for an animal: There is a limited number of apartments on campus that allow pets. Possession of a pet that is illegal or unaccounted for can come with serious fines and consequences. 

While I really do see and support the benefit of caring for a pet during college, it’s best for both the student and animal that the student thoroughly investigates his/her personal situation to see whether the fit and time is right to become a pet parent. At the very least, your sleep-deprived neighbors will thank you. 

Carly is a junior in FAA. She can be reached at [email protected].