College is a sad time in the sense that we have to move to a new place without our closest and furriest family members. Being separated from my two pups was the most heartbreaking thing for me, but when I was choosing where I wanted to attend college I distinctly remember Lafayette being that one school with all the dogs. Located in such a small town with a neighborhood on one side and Downtown Easton on the other, Lafayette’s campus gets quite a lot of foot traffic on a weekly basis. And there is a high chance that at least one person will have a dog.
If you have not yet been blessed with running into a dog after a long day of classes or on your way to study for hours in the library, here are some ways to optimize your chances of seeing a dog to get that puppy love we all just need sometimes.
First, and foremost, Bailey’s Health Center is a sure place to find dogs/puppies. Right now, there are two chocolate lab puppies that anyone can go visit, which you don’t have to make an appointment to go see, and you can just sit there and play with them for however long you need. You can also bring a friend and take the two puppies out for a walk! Just check in with the nurses in the front desk and you’re free to take them for the hour.
Usually walking through the Quad early in the afternoon is a good time to spot some pups. You’ll be surprised how many people who live on/off campus own dogs! If you hang around there long enough, granted that the weather is decent, you’ll probably run into a cute fluffball in no time.
So many professors live close enough to campus where they will bring their dogs to work with them! Ask around and figure out which professors tend to have dogs hanging around their offices. I know the Dog Course FYS professor, Bianca Falbo, often has her dogs around (3rd floor of Pardee) and there’s a professor who often brings her dog, Maggie, on the 2nd floor of Pardee.
If you miss living with a furry companion and are looking to assume the parental role of owner once again, look no further than the Dog House! If this sounds like something you would be interested in applying for, learn more about what the Dog House is, the responsibilities it entails, and how you can apply to live there. Kate McManus, Class of 2021, describes her experience living in the Dog House as “incredibly rewarding,” and says, “while it does take a lot of responsibility, […] knowing that all the work everyone puts in will better someone’s quality of life in the future is so special to me.”
Meet Owen (3 months) and Able (7 months)
Able left recently to go into a prison training program, but the house will be getting a new dog in the next few weeks!
Now that you know this, going to college isn’t such a bad thing! So if you ever find yourself missing your own dogs or just needing puppy love in general, hit up some of these spots and get your fix. Oh, and FYI, there’s an instagram page [@dogsoflafayette] that’s been created recently to highlight the goodest doggos on this campus so you’ll never run out of cuteness. NOW GO OUT THERE AND PET SOME DOGS!!!