College Magazine has named Linfield University No. 6 on its Top 10 Colleges for Students Who Can’t Imagine Life Without Animals list. Citing Linfield’s pet-friendly housing, which allows even first-year students to bring a companion animal, author Devin Stonerock quoted Shayla Wacker ’24 on the positive impact a pet can have on a student’s mental health.
“Having a dog on campus has tremendously changed the way that I exist on campus,” she said. “Her presence has also provided me with a whole community of other pet owners on campus as well as students who stop us on walks just to say hi to Olive.”
College Magazine is a quarterly publication written and edited by current students from all over the country.
At Linfield, Jane Failing Hall began allowing pets in 2019 while the Blaine Street Apartments began allowing pets in 2021.
“We designed our pet-friendly housing specifically for family pets to be able to come to school with their humans,” said Kathleen Jensen, assistant director of residence life. “A student leaving home and coming to college experiences so much transition, and their pet can be a piece of stability for them that makes a huge difference.”
She added that the well-known mental health benefits of pets, including reduction in feelings of loneliness, mood boost and increased feelings of social support, extend beyond individual owners.
“Having pets on campus is really helpful to the entire community, which gets to spend time with other people’s pets,” she said, adding that the pet-friendly policy also makes the lives of students simpler.
“Historically, we’ve seen students jump through so many hoops to get their pet certified as a service or emotional support animal,” she said. “We decided to take down those barriers and welcome pets as a special and treasured part of our campus life.”
To learn more about Linfield’s residence life and housing options, visit www.linfield.edu/life-at-linfield.
