Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms

Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - Printable Version

+- The CardBoard (https://thecardboard.org/board)
+-- Forum: C-House! (https://thecardboard.org/board/forum-4.html)
+--- Forum: The CardBoard (https://thecardboard.org/board/forum-5.html)
+--- Thread: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms (/thread-13905.html)

Pages: 1 2

Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - TreesAndBirds - 06-22-2017

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/06/22/stanford-will-allow-support-animals-in-dorms-next-year/?ref=yfp

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - fullmetal - 06-22-2017

Okay...this is a little much.Â Let's hope that students with allergies triggered by others' emotional support animals don't start a civil war.Â Or maybe students with severe aversions to aforementioned tarantulas, snakes, etc.

The smells, the animal bio waste, etc. are all non-trivial issues/responsibilities to deal with.Â And heaven forbid that support animals not get along with each other--e.g. trained seeing-eye dogs are one thing, but emotional support animals don't seem to be required to undergo any sort of training.Â And maybe Fido attacks Fifi and causes severe trauma--who's to blame?

Can't wait for the first emotional support rattlesnake.

I'm not against the idea of emotional support, but the logistics are not that simple where animals are concerned.

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - dabigv13 - 06-22-2017

My friend has an emotional support dog. It's just a normal dog, but having that designation gives him some leverage to have it in apartments and stores that otherwise would prohibit it. As I recall getting the designation required a phone call or form filled out. He's a normal guy without any anxiety or depression or anything.

So I think the emotional support thing is sort of a scammy way to have a dog where you otherwise might not. Sort of like "medical marijuana."

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - Canalejas - 06-22-2017

Some of us had pets in the dorms despite the rules.Â I only had a fish.Â But some of my housemates had hamsters, salamanders and one even had a chinchilla.

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - Farm93 - 06-22-2017

(06-22-2017, 02:34 PM)dabigv link Wrote:My friend has an emotional support dog. It's just a normal dog, but having that designation gives him some leverage to have it in apartments and stores that otherwise would prohibit it. As I recall getting the designation required a phone call or form filled out. He's a normal guy without any anxiety or depression or anything.

So I think the emotional support thing is sort of a scammy way to have a dog where u otherwise might not. Sort of like "medical marijuana."

In the OC you can't really go to a store or shopping district without seeing a few of these pets...err support animals.Â It is already ridiculous as many of these dogs/cats/rabbits should not be in public markets with food.Â I am sure there are a few people out there that can reduce their meds with support animals, but there are quite a number of questionable designations out there.

I am not sure how many with real support needs are then applying and getting into Stanford, but I can guess there will be several dozen kids that will have documents demonstrating needs by September.

My guess is the allergy kids will win the day, so best to inform the support pet students that they may need to switch dorms and endure that impact to their well being.Â Probably best for Stanford to designate a theme dorm for support critters, or just have a theme dorm for pet-lovers.

In most communities now kids can't even think about bringing food with nuts to school.Â Those same children with hypersensitivities to all kinds of plants and animals will be A OK living in dorms with support dogs and cats?!??Â Mmmmm..OK.

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - 82lsju - 06-22-2017

(06-22-2017, 02:27 PM)fullmetal link Wrote:Okay...this is a little much.Â Let's hope that students with allergies triggered by others' emotional support animals don't start a civil war.Â Or maybe students with severe aversions to aforementioned tarantulas, snakes, etc.

The smells, the animal bio waste, etc. are all non-trivial issues/responsibilities to deal with.Â And heaven forbid that support animals not get along with each other--e.g. trained seeing-eye dogs are one thing, but emotional support animals don't seem to be required to undergo any sort of training.Â And maybe Fido attacks Fifi and causes severe trauma--who's to blame?

Can't wait for the first emotional support rattlesnake.

I'm not against the idea of emotional support, but the logistics are not that simple where animals are concerned.

A man was severely injured on a Delta Air Lines flight after officials say he was attacked by another passenger's emotional support dog just prior to takeoff Sunday.

According to an incident report, a passenger identified as "Mr. Mundy," a current military service member, had an emotional support dog with him while boarding his flight from Atlanta to San Diego.

When Mundy and his 4-year-old chocolate lab-pointer mix took their seat next to another passenger identified as "Mr. Jackson," the dog allegedly attacked Jackson.

Jackson suffered multiple bites and was transported to the hospital in stable condition with severe injuries to his face, according to the report. The dog has been vaccinated for rabies.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/emotional-support-dog-attacks-passenger-flight/story?id=47869231

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - dabigv13 - 06-22-2017

(06-22-2017, 03:13 PM)Farm93 link Wrote:[quote author=dabigv link=topic=17005.msg195008#msg195008 date=1498167291]
My friend has an emotional support dog. It's just a normal dog, but having that designation gives him some leverage to have it in apartments and stores that otherwise would prohibit it. As I recall getting the designation required a phone call or form filled out. He's a normal guy without any anxiety or depression or anything.

So I think the emotional support thing is sort of a scammy way to have a dog where u otherwise might not. Sort of like "medical marijuana."

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - Bruce Wang - 06-22-2017

(06-22-2017, 03:10 PM)Robber Baron 83 link Wrote:Some of us had pets in the dorms despite the rules.Â I only had a fish.Â But some of my housemates had hamsters, salamanders and one even had a chinchilla.

I, too, only had an Emotional Support Fish.Â While I was in the Stanford dorms, I saw an Emotional Support Giant Bunny (her owner walked her around on a leash) and an Emotional Support Iguana.Â

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - Snorlax94 - 06-22-2017

Although the whole emotional support animal thing sounds a little silly, and to my understanding there is agreement there is abuse, I don't know enough about it to comment on that specific policy.

I can say, first, as many others have mentioned, that there are many pets on campus. Some friends of mine had a very large rat and a snake, and one day decided they had one pet too many. At the time, I thought that was funny, but now I think it was cruel.

As for the pet allergy issue, while I am generally concerned about allergies and asthma, it's hard to imagine dogs, cats, spiders, iguanas or hamsters making the dorms any worse. They are so dusty and filthy (maybe not the newer ones, but the old ones like the way Stern was when I lived there). And my goodness, the libraries. So much dust and mold.

There were so many alcohol spills and so much vomit (especially in my frosh dorm) it is difficult to imagine a little hamster showing up and then people thinking, oh now this place is dirty.

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - Farm93 - 06-22-2017

Many of the new dorms really look and feel more like hotels, but even hotels are pretty nasty places for germs, and filth.

That said, say a freshman with allergies (known or unknown) is paired with a roommate that has a special needs pet.Â What happens?

FWIW - I really feel sorry for these emotional support animals if they are stuck in a dorm room all day long.Â That would be an awful way to spend a day while your student is off at class, office hours, a coffee house, sporting events or the library.Â I guess in some ways dorm life will be better for those animals than apartments as dorm neighbors could help give the support animal a life while their owner is out and about.

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - dabigv13 - 06-22-2017

As someone with bad cat allergies, and knowing many others with similar issues, widespread animals in dorms would be a bigger issue than peanut butter in cafeterias.

It will be interesting to see how they work it out. Will definitely need to be asked on pre-enrollment forms. Also worth noting that 18-22 is when many people first develop allergies. My 3rd spring at Stanford was murder for me.

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - GoodGrief - 06-22-2017

I'm sure there are people who genuinely need those animals, but I bet a large portion just like being having their pets around in the restaurant, grocery store, and dorm. I do think the abuse of the "support animal" moniker is really disrespectful to actual service animals.

I think the easiest solution is to simply have one dorm be the Support Animal Dorm. That way all the smell, allergens, and mess are somewhat confined to one area (or really, just having them live in apartment-style on-campus housing like before works for me)

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - burger - 06-22-2017

(06-22-2017, 08:54 PM)GoodGrief link Wrote:I'm sure there are people who genuinely need those animals, but I bet a large portion just like being having their pets around in the restaurant, grocery store, and dorm. I do think the abuse of the "support animal" moniker is really disrespectful to actual service animals.

Yep.Â My wife is a therapist and frequently gets requests from clients to let them have service dogs.Â Many of the people asking for this do not need the dogs.Â Supposedly, there are shady practitioners who will approve anyone's request for a service animal for a fee.Â And I've heard (but not checked myself) that you can go on line and buy the stupid "service dog" vest for your dog--that alone is good enough to get your dog in a lot of places it would not be allowed otherwise.

Stanford does not need this hassle.

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - Mick - 06-22-2017

What are the authorities going to do the first time a kid wants an "emotional support cobra" or an "emotional support rat" or "emotional support tarantula" or some other animal that most people find objectionable, but the snowfl- student feels a deep emotional need?

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - dabigv13 - 06-22-2017

I don't think this is anything snowflakey (ugh a term that we will look upon not fondly in VH1's The 10's) for a lot of these folks. They just like having their cool dog with them.

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - fullmetal - 06-23-2017

Yeah, Stanford has so much to offer for students with the time to pursue such opportunities.Â Spending a disproportionate amount of time taking care of a pet on top of everything seems wasteful.Â Poor critters would be cooped up all day.Â Will the animal rights folks get on board with an anti-pet cruelty campaign?

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - Bruce Wang - 06-23-2017

For the Stanford dudes, "support animal" is an euphemism for "chick magnet".Â If I was a Stanford student now, I would get an Emotional Support Hedgehog.

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - FarmBoy - 06-23-2017

You all sound like a bunch of grumpy old fogies.

Stanford already allows service animals. I knew of several on campus during my time. Hopefully they can use the same process already in place to make sure kids with allergies don't get paired with kids with service dogs.

Much ado about nothing.

But I certainly second that it would be a pain to be "shackled" to caring for a pet while trying to live the college life. I love my dog, but I wouldn't want to take her to college and have to miss out on last minute road trips to Tahoe or have to leave a party early because my dog hasn't been walked for 6 hours, or have to wake up early every single goddamn morning to take her out to shi$t. Seems like a waste of college, but hey, different stroke for different folks.

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - TreesAndBirds - 06-23-2017

The designated locations will be in West Lag...

http://www.stanforddaily.com/2017/05/24/west-lag-dorms-to-house-support-animals-for-undergraduates/

Re: Stanford to allow "support animals" to live in the dorms - 2006alum - 06-23-2017

(06-23-2017, 06:39 AM)TreesAndBirds link Wrote:The designated locations will be in West Lag...

http://www.stanforddaily.com/2017/05/24/west-lag-dorms-to-house-support-animals-for-undergraduates/

Seems like the most efficient resolution all around. And if they're all singles or two-room doubles, no risk of having your roommate be a dog - literally! ;)