A Regulated Pet Policy at Wabash College

I wrote this three weeks ago and I have something to add to it%u2026

 This Petition has been written to ensure that the Administration and Administration of the Student Body know that Wabash College wants to explore regulating a pet policy rather than the current %u201CDon%u2019t Ask, Don%u2019t Tell%u201D. Our College currently does not allow pets on campus, but many of us have pets anyway. This causes many problems from scaring Campus Service staff to insurance problems. Rather than not having a pet policy at all our college should have a contract, and make students identify their pets when registering. This way their pet can be registered: Campus Service Staff will know when entering the unit, the administration will know who to blame for problems and students with allergies will know where not to swat for their room. Rather than figure out a system for where to place pets and allergic people, we decide to just say no to pets. Pets are still on campus and people with allergies still have those allergies, The problem is not solved.

To Finish this comment, a good friend of mine who works with campus services ask me about what I was planning to do about pets. He told me dogs scare him all the time here on campus, and that he was fine with the current policy. Well we began to discuss it, and he felt that giving the chance for a regulated policy would be the best option. If you have a crazy snake or a crazy dog, Wabash College has no place for it. I think we should leave that one to Center Hall, let them decide whether my dog gets to stay on campus or not. Let us take care of our staff and students, by signing this petition.

Thanks,

Billy Evans

Representative of 2011

Community Service Committee

Audit and Finance Committee

In the Fall of 2007, The Administration decided to end pets at Wabash College. According to the September 6th and September 20th articles in the Bachelor, the College had switched insurance carriers to Gregory & Appel, and this carrier had %u201Cforced the College to ban pets.%u201D The article also states that the policy is cut and dry and the insurance gave no other option for students to own pets.

This past summer my dog of seventeen years passed away, and when I came back onto campus I decided to look into this issue. I was informed by Larry Griffith of the actual situation which took place, and I feel it was a different story then portrayed in the articles. Pets were seen as a possible, potential risk. They were seen this way since they can bite, shed, and excrete. However, there has been no formal claim ever made about pets on this campus. The shedding of hair seems to be a big problem, however a student is suppose to clean out his entire room by the end of the school year, and may lose his security deposit if he does not follow through. Also the excrement of feces was seen as a possible %u201Cissue%u201D, however, Dean Raters stated in the September 20th article that, %u201CEvery Student is fully responsible for their pet in the first place.%u201D I trust students who own pets would not mistreat or decide not to clean up and potty train their pets. Finally, if pets ever do any of these actions, I believe this whole situation might be best solved by adding another contract in the Freshman Year packet between the College and student stating if your animal bites another being you will be at fault.

Overall, I believe the Administration would be willing to allow pets on campus despite the very few possible issues which may take place. The best way to explain to President White that the entire student body and staff is for this measure is by petition. Therefore, I request that every member of this Wabash Community print and sign your name on the next page.