When Sarah Garner, a senior majoring in social work, adopted her dog, Nelson, from the Lee County Humane Society, she picked him out, signed some paperwork and carried the puppy off to his forever home. But now, in addition to a new best friend, Garner has found herself with a new alarm clock, a new workout routine and a new schedule.

“My routine has changed to where I cannot just go anywhere on the weekends or just pick up and leave and do anything spontaneous,” Garner said. “I have to make sure Nelson has a babysitter, and I also have to make sure I have the money to pay for a babysitter at the same time. It is kind of like having a child.”

Today, 39 percent of Americans own at least one dog, and 34 percent of Americans own at least one cat, according to humanesocietyuniversity.org. In Tuscaloosa, more than half of pet adoptions from the Metro Animal Shelter are to college students, Jennifer Earp, operations manager at the shelter, said.

The shelter outlines a certain criteria in their application that any interested adopter must meet. Some of the qualifications the shelter examines specifically for students are whether or not their apartment complex or landlord allows pets, whether the student has paid the pet deposit at their residence and if the student’s parents are willing to allow their student to have a pet of their own, as many students move home during Christmas or summer break.

Earp said that most often when the shelter has a returned animal, it is because the student has encountered a health issue with the animal that they were unprepared to handle.

“Make sure you spay and neuter your pet,” Earp said. “While it might seem like a cost up front, it will save you money in the long run. It will save a lot of time and money because it won’t add to the animal population and cost someone else money in the long run.”

More than half of the 6-8 million dogs and cats that enter shelters each year are euthanized, according to humanesociety.org. Low adoption rates are a driving factor behind this high number, as is the large number of animals rescued from the streets due to overpopulation.

For example, in Tuscaloosa, the downtown area sees a spike at the end of the spring semester in the number of feral cats, said Betty Freeman, Tuscaloosa Humane Society board member and volunteer. She said lack of OVERSET FOLLOWS:spaying and neutering is a contributing factor.

“There is a jump in the number of feral cats when students leave for the summer,” Freeman said. “They think that they can just let the cat go and it can fend for itself, but it can’t.”

Metro Animal Shelter also talks extensively with the students about finances and the amount of time they are able to commit, so they can counsel the student on whether a dog or cat would be better suited for their lifestyle.

“We spend a lot more time with younger people counseling them on what to do and what not to do when adopting a pet,” Earp said. “More so than a family who’s owned a pet or two before.”

Earp said the largest obstacle students face in pet adoption is their inability to examine their future commitment to the pet.

“So many young individuals can’t see the long term effects or responsibility,” Earp said. “Without judging we try to explain the big picture. You must look at the next several years of your life and examine where you’ll be because you’ll have the animal for that long.”

Freeman said time is the most important factor to examine when a student is selecting a specific type of pet.

“Based on your time, you need to decide if you’re better suited for a dog or for a cat,” Freeman said. “For example, if you have a high-energy dog you need to see whether you have time to take it on walks and train it.”

A study at Ohio State University found that the top reason for college students to own pets was to help them cope with adversity or to feel less lonely. The study surveyed 350 people ages 18-50, and 18 percent of the college students surveyed said their pet contributed to their happiness.

“They say dogs are the most natural anti-depressants you can find. I have also heard that many people who own dogs live longer and happier lives, and since I got Nelson, I have been much happier,” Garner said.