As soon as I got settled into college last year, I missed having animals around. I had two dogs at home, and it broke my heart not to be able to see them. In the past, I had taken for granted the way that having pets improved my mental health. Especially moving away from home and knowing very few people, I was feeling down in the dumps. During my Spring semester, I began looking for hypoallergenic dogs at nearby rescues. I spent half a year searching and applying to be able to adopt a hypoallergenic dog but was denied by every rescue due to my age or lack of a fenced-in yard.
Finally, after months of searching and feeling defeated, my boyfriend, Curtis, told me to check the Tallahassee Animal Services’ website one more time. I reluctantly did and, to my surprise, towards the bottom of the screen was a two-year-old Miniature Schnauzer mix, named Taz. As soon as I saw his adorable little face, I knew that I had to go meet him. Curtis and I immediately drove to the shelter in hopes that he wouldn’t be adopted before we arrived. Once we got there I practically sprinted to the room at the end of the hall. It didn’t take long for me to find him.
Even though he was still there, I was worried, because he seemed to be terrified of me. He was standing at the back of the pen barking at me. Luckily, I decided that this wasn’t an accurate representation of his character. We played with him in one of the play areas and he became a different dog. He was spunky, energetic and so happy to see us. My roommate brought her dog to meet him and the two got along. We decided to adopt him and, after much deliberation, changed his name to Clover.
I’m sure that you’re probably thinking: “But you’re a college student! You don’t have time for a dog.” That’s what a lot of people told me before I adopted Clover, but here’s the thing: I’m not big on going out. I go to class and then might go study at a coffee shop (which I can bring him to). A few times a week I’ll have a meeting for an extracurricular, but that is the extent of my college student activities. I also co-parent Clover with my long-term boyfriend. That being said, Clover is never alone for more than three hours, and, luckily, he doesn’t have to be in a crate, since he’s potty trained. For some college students, adopting a dog is not a good decision, but for me it was the right one.
Adopting from a shelter is an amazing thing! By doing so you are saving a life! I had to look for a long time in order to find a dog that fit my needs but, in the end, it was worth it. I have a new best friend who is beyond grateful to be loved. It’s cheesy but I didn’t rescue him, he rescued me!
All images courtesy of Emily Schutz.
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