“Omg, let’s get a puppy next year!” These are the words I overheard from apartment seekers at the library. As they dreamed aloud of how they would hide the puppy during the school year and take him to Illinois in the summers, I couldn’t mask my cringe. I hoped upon hope they were not serious, that they would not force a dog into a cramped apartment where they could only have limited time and space outside due to pet policies. I wished that they would wait until conditions were suitable to adopt a dog.

Don’t get me wrong, I love dogs. Seeing floppy ears hopping down the street instantly brings a smile to my face. And getting the chance to pet the furry ball of love? Whatever stress or dismay that’s occurred in the day becomes a little alleviated. Sharing your time with a dog is full of so many mental and physical benefits from therapeutic company to encouragement to exercise. 

Welcoming your home to a dog in a shelter is absolutely wonderful. According to the America Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 1.4 million dogs are adopted every year. Some of these adopters may be college students and some of them may be completely capable owners. However, others are not so fitting due to insufficient economic status, lack of time, lack of space, and no pet policies of those limited spaces.

Before deciding to adopt a dog, it is important to determine whether you can afford one. Some make rush decisions at shelters because costs are a lot lower than finding dogs otherwise. However, despite this initial relatively low cost adoption fee, what happens after you take the dog home? First off, can you afford the routine expenses such as food? Are you gonna give this pup any toys? Everybody wants a puppy, right? So, what about training classes? Teaching obedience is not easy and if you don’t, you could be teaching your dog to be unnecessarily aggressive or exhibit other social problems. As if that isn’t enough, you must prepare in the case of a health emergency in addition to occasional health checkups, which, trust me, aren’t cheap. It is not enough to think a dog is cute, you have to be able to provide for the dog financially.

If you are economically comfortable enough to support a dog, great! Next step: do you have the time? First, you have to be mindful of the dog’s need to use the bathroom. Will you be there to let the pup out to do so or will you just be the kind of owner that doesn’t come home until 11 p.m. and get’s mad there’s pee on the floor? The dog is not an inconvenience, they are a responsibility and an animal deserving of quality care. Play and exercise time outside are necessary for health. Taking your dog to the parking lot to pee does not qualify as a walk. Every bathroom break does not have to be an adventure, but a dog needs someone who has a good amount of free time to spend with them.

In order to truly enjoy quality time, one needs the space to do so. Are you living in a small apartment with tons of roommates and no backyard? Or worse, does your apartment have a policy against pets. Hiding a dog is not an acceptable life for them. It’s just cruel. You can’t just get a dog because you like dogs and you want a dog. You have to be prepared to essentially raise a living being. If you feel that you satisfy the requirements I have mentioned, then by all means, be so kind as to save a dog by taking them into a loving home.