When Anna Lozito, a junior biology major, moved off campus, she knew she wanted to adopt a cat to help with stress and anxiety. Somehow, she ended up with two — Mika and Loki.
“I never really planned on getting two cats, but Mika seemed to be lonely and is definitely happier with her brother here,” Lozito said.
From cats to reptiles to service dogs in training, Pitt students are turning to pet ownership for stress relief and learning to balance their hectic schedules with pet-related responsibilities.
Lozito said she got “lucky” with her two cats.
“They are both super low maintenance,” Lozito said. “Obviously, it took some adjusting to get into a routine that worked with my classes and being home with them, but I am also lucky that I have a roommate who is willing to feed and take care of them if I’m going to be out late studying.”
Wendy Li, who completed her undergraduate degree at Pitt and is now pursuing a master’s in athletic training, has raised service dogs since her first year of college through Pitt’s program STEP at Pitt, a service-dog-in-training program through Canine Companions. Li is currently raising her fourth puppy, Bouquet, through the program.
Li said the puppy raisers have their dogs for about a year and a half, during which time they teach the dogs basic commands. From there, they go to Canine Companions for professional training for six to nine months before being matched with someone in need.
Li said raising puppies has taught her a lot about time management. She believes raising puppies has given her schedule more structure, especially since dogs thrive on a routine.
“They know when it’s dinner time. They know when they tend to go to the bathroom,” Li said. “It’s been helpful to build my schedule around that.”
Morgan Tormo, a junior social work major and member of STEP at Pitt, is currently raising her puppy Caspian.
“I have always had dogs growing up, and coming to school, I was like, ‘I need a dog,’ but I didn’t want to get a permanent dog [because] I don’t know where I’ll be after school,” Tormo said. “This is kind of like the perfect balance. I feel like — even though it’s really hard some days — it’s also so nice to come back to him and be able to train him and hang out with him.”
Tormo said raising service dogs has been meaningful and taught her “a lot of responsibility.”
“Having to balance school work and having a pet is a lot, but it also has helped me a lot with my time management [and] my personal responsibility because now, I’m also responsible for a pet,” Tormo said.
Ella Crimmins, a junior neuroscience major, adopted a ball python, who she named George, four months ago because of her love of reptiles.
“I wanted a ball python because they are very easy to take care of and aren’t difficult to convince a landlord to allow,” Crimmins said.
Crimmins said having a routine helps her balance her academic workload and the responsibilities that come with owning a pet.
“Setting up the enclosure is definitely the most time-consuming part, but once everything’s established, you really only have to spray down the tank a few times a week and set aside 20 minutes to feed [it] once a week,” Crimmins said. “I usually get all of that done in passing between coming home and going to class.”
Lozito emphasized the importance of doing research beforehand for students interested in adopting or caring for a pet.
“There are so many shelters and rescues, especially in Pittsburgh, and the staff always wants to help you find the match that fits your lifestyle the most,” Lozito said. “I know for me, my apartment doesn’t allow pets, so I also had to register them as Emotional Support Animals before they could live in my apartment with me, so that’s something to think about as well.”
Crimmins believes students should fully look into the commitments and costs before adopting an animal.
“[Students need] to definitely do extensive research on their care and ensure they have the time and finances to commit to having a pet at this point in their life,” Crimmins said.
Li also said students need to understand the responsibilities and time commitment that come with raising animals.
“I remember my third dog — I didn’t get her as a baby puppy, because I knew that during that time of my life, I could not handle an eight-week-old puppy, so she came to me when she was seven months old,” Li said.
For students who can handle the responsibility of pet ownership, Tormo said they should “just do it.”
“It’s nice to have a pet at home [to] balance out a bunch of stuff and create a calm atmosphere for you,” Tormo said.