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Their big round eyes, wagging tails and loving nature easily persuade college students to adopt a pet while they are trying to make it through tight financial times and balance a busy schedule. The lifetime responsibility of a pet can prove to be too much for some students, resulting in the Whitman County Humane Society housing a large number of animals surrendered by college students.

“It may be cool to have a cat now but they live 15 years,” Whitman County Humane Society employee Rachel Reynolds said. “Not many students think about that, it’s more than just a college thing. A pet isn’t an impulse purchase.”

Hundreds of pets fill the humane society each year leaving some student pet owners questioning their decision to take on the responsibility of pet parenting. Moving to a place where pets are not accepted, owners no longer being able to afford pets or no longer wanting the responsibility of an animal are the main reasons that Derek Keno, the director of shelter operations at the Whitman County Humane Society commonly sees when animals are given to the shelter by college students.

Owning a dog was a lifelong dream for Washington State University sophomore Edward Callahan. Three weeks ago Callahan’s wish was fulfilled when he purchased a six-week-old chocolate lab from a breeder in Idaho. His excitement ceased once he realized the amount of responsibility it takes to raise a puppy while in college.

“I’ve never had a pet before and I really wanted the companionship,” Callahan said. “But she’s a puppy, so it’s a lot of training. You have to plan ahead for every little thing and I wasn’t prepared for it.”

Whether owners willingly surrender the animals or the police department brings in strays, the humane society is constantly packed with furry residents.

“We currently have nine dogs, 25 cats, six kittens, and quite a few more that are in foster care right now,” Keno said. “But those numbers are constantly changing.”

Keno and Reynolds both agree that college students are responsible for a majority of the animals at the Whitman County Humane Society. According to Reynolds, the humane society takes in a lot of animals that were taken into residences where pets are not allowed. Once the animals are discovered in the non-pet friendly living they are forced out are typically given to the humane society.

Many of the other animals that are living in the humane society are brought in by the Pullman Police Department as strays. The amount of stray animals in Pullman that were reported by the police has multiplied over the past decade. There has been a 75 percent increase of stray animals in Pullman during the past 10 years according to the Pullman Police Department incident report.

“We have to take in strays first, they get priority over the other animals,” Reynolds said. “It’s hard because then we have to turn away animals who need a good home. They go on a waiting list and some animals can’t afford to wait for a spot in the shelter.”

Contacts for story

Rachel Reynolds- 206.790.8907

Edward Callahan- 509.679.2668

Derek Keno- 509.332.3422