Currently, dogs are not allowed on BU campuses unless they are registered as service or emotional support animals. My proposal is for SUBU to lobby BU to make Talbot campus dog-friendly. Why is this issue important? Many students and staff own dogs or wish to adopt one, this policy would better accommodate their needs while promoting responsible dog ownership. I propose the following 5 arguments in support of making Talbot campus dog-friendly: 1. Dogs are social animals that should not be left alone for extended periods, as they can experience loneliness, anxiety, and even depression, and they also need regular bathroom breaks. According to the RSPCA, dogs should not be left alone for more than four hours at a time. However, a 2021 Agria Pet Insurance survey revealed that 85% of dogs in the UK are typically left alone for up to five hours, with 26% left for up to six hours or longer. A dog-friendly campus would help prevent dogs from being left alone for extended periods, promoting their welfare and ensuring they receive the care and attention they need. 2. A dog-friendly campus will also support students and staff in providing a forever home for their dogs. Between 2021 and 2022, the RSPCA saw a 6% increase in intakes, while in 2022, there was a 30% decrease in adoptions compared to 2019. This highlights the growing issue of pets being surrendered while fewer are finding forever homes. Additionally, neglect and abandonment rates are also on the rise. A dog-friendly campus would help prevent students and staff from giving up their pets due to the challenges of managing pet care while at university or work. 3. A dog-friendly campus would also help deter the misuse of the Emotional Support Animal (ESA) scheme. ESAs provide comfort and support to individuals with mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD. ESAs are not trained to perform specific tasks, like regular service animals, but they are a type of service animal. Their role is to simply provide emotional support. While ESAs are not task-trained, they are trained to behave appropriately in public, and their owners are just as responsible as owners of service animals. However, this is not always the case for every dog registered as an ESA. The ESA system is notoriously abused, some owners register their dogs as ESAs simply to bring them into places where dogs are otherwise not allowed. This has led to ESA bans in a number of public spaces, such as on air travel, due to poorly behaved dogs that were registered as ESAs. This directly harms individuals who rely on ESAs for their genuine therapeutic needs. A dog-friendly campus would help prevent the abuse of the ESA system, ensuring that only those who truly need ESAs benefit from the scheme. 4. It's easy to view people in these difficult situations as simply irresponsible dog owners. However, dogs are long-lived, with most breeds living 10 to 15 years. While people may be in a position to care for a dog when they initially get one, life circumstances can, and often do, change. It's impossible to predict what your life will look like in 5, 10, or 15 years. Many people, for example, got a dog during the 2020 pandemic while they were home full-time and are now struggling to care for them due to the return of in-person studies and work commitments. Others may have childhood dogs that they adopted as puppies 5-10 years ago, but as they’ve grown up, they now face difficulties balancing university life and dog care—especially as their dogs age and require more attention. Elderly dogs are at the highest risk of being abandoned, abused, or neglected and are the least likely to be successfully rehomed. 5. Dogs are man's best friend! Dog ownership has been shown to have positive effects on mental health, reducing stress and improving overall well-being. Also a dog-friendly campus would promote and support responsible pet ownership, and it could ease the pressure on the RSPCA by reducing the number of dogs surrendered and by potentially contributing to increasing adoption rates. By making Talbot campus dog-friendly, BU would be directly promoting responsible pet ownership, supporting animal welfare, and fostering a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all. This policy would not only benefit the well-being of students and staff but also serve as a unique selling point for BU, setting it apart as a progressive and pet-friendly university. ;)

1. Allow dogs on campus in outdoor areas. Currently, according to BU policy, non-service dogs are not allowed anywhere on campus. The first step is to revise this policy to allow dogs in outdoor areas, such as the square and green spaces. This would mean that dogs would still not be permitted inside buildings or lecture halls unless they are registered service animals or ESAs. 2. BU to build a dog daycare facility on Talbot Campus. Currently, there are no dog daycares nearby, and very few options are available in the Bournemouth/Poole area. The closest daycare, Wizzy Walkies in Ensbury Park, closed in December 2023. The next closest option is in Alder Park, which is 30 minutes by bus, 10 minutes by car, or a 45-minute walk from Talbot Campus. This is a significant diversion for students and staff who need to drop off their dogs before attending classes. BU could partner with a service provider to establish a dog daycare facility on campus, which could also generate additional income for the university. 3. Alongside these changes, BU will need to introduce necessary guidelines for dogs on campus. Such as: dogs to be kept on leads at all times, owners should never leave their dogs tied up outside campus buildings for extended periods of time (must be left at daycare during lectures), owners cannot bring dogs on campus unless they are registered with the daycare, dogs to not be allowed on campus on days where outdoor events are held such as the Freshers Fair or Open Days, and owners must be held responsible for their dogs’ behaviour at all times. In cases of inappropriate behaviour, enforcement policies should be implemented to ensure the safety and comfort of all students, staff, and visitors. An example of a university with a successful pet-friendly policy is Stephens College in Columbia, US.

VP Welfare & Community