LIFESTYLE: Pets on and off campus

Only turtles and fish are allowed in University dorms. So that's it -- no dogs, cats, or rabbits, right? Not. There is in fact a pet craze going on at the University, and the fur-lined obsession has made its way everywhere from fraternities and off-campus houses into the inner reaches of the Quad. And from dogs that maneuver between pedestrians on Locust Walk to clandestine illegal animals in residence halls that no one mentions in broad daylight, the University is crawling, walking, slithering, flapping and swimming with pets. Many students reveal an inner craving for diverse animal companionship of all kinds, even if their rabbit is illegal and their dog bites the mailman. Some of these many pets don't get out much. College freshman Stephanie Mudge brought Beaker the parakeet from her home in Alexandria, Virginia to her High Rise apartment. Like the fish down the hall from him, Beaker hasn't yet had an opportunity to explore West Philadelphia. Apparently, letting him out of the cage once was enough, for Beaker found out that he couldn't fly through walls the hard way, Mudge said. Pet-owners said that there are many reasons to bring pets to college. "I'm used to having a pet," Mudge explained. "He's a great conversation piece." While at the University, Beaker is expected to learn to talk. "He's in college, so I figure he should learn something," Mudge said. Beaker had no comment on the subject. Beaker, as a domesticated bird, has an easier life than wild animals trying to break into the domestic scene. At the beginning of September, a wild bird found its way into the hallway of the 21st floor of High Rise South. Residents said the bird attacked people who tried to pick it up or shoo it away. Eventually, the bird was caught in a box and sent over to the Veterinary School. Thankfully, no one was injured by this rare encounter with the wild outdoors. The floor's resident advisor, College senior Siva Thayu, said that pets in the High Rises were rather uncommon. She cited the fact that there are health and safety inspections once a semester, "and they're pretty strict about pets." Those claiming to be in the know, however, said this is not the case. One High Rise resident said that illegal pets are very common, claiming she knows people secretly keeping dogs and cats in their rooms. But because she is harboring a rabbit herself -- a rabbit that cannot be contained in a twenty gallon tank -- she demanded anonmynity. "My roommates and everybody else really like him, so I don't see what the problem is," she said. "He's in a cage, and he's not hurting anyone. No one knows he's here." Until now. One Quad resident, also an owner of a particularly cute bunny, agreed. "I can understand the rules in terms of setting a limit on pets, but they should allow more than they do." Cadbury the Bunny gets walked on a leash at night, and when the coast is clear he gets smuggled in and out of the Quad under a ski jacket. "I know a lot of people with rabbits. Some with very big birds," the pet-hiding student added. Other students said the idea of violating this clause of their occupancy agreements never crossed their minds. "Personally, I wouldn't keep a pet in my room," said College sophomore Ryan Longman. "Think about the fleas." Not every local dog owner is breaking rules. Most campus-area dog owners aren't afraid to come out in public with their dogs on Locust Walk on a sunny day -- in fact they crave the crowds on the Walk. "A dog is a people magnet. Actually, my roommate says it's a chick magnet," said Drexel graduate student Johan Sundlof while out on the Walk with his Dalmatian, Cassidy. Sundlof comes with his dog all the way to the University from not-so-distant Drexel because "there's more grass on Penn's campus." Seeing dogs around on the Walk gives one the opportunity to pass the afternoon testing the "Dogs Look Like Their Owners/Owners Look Like Their Dogs" theory, but it can also be a good pretext for meeting new and interesting people. The virile aspect of man's best friend is a big factor in dog walking at the University, "but that's not why I got him," says College sophomore Pat Johnson, out walking his Neapolitan mastiff, Chunk. Johnson was forced to stop walking as countless pedestrians paused to pet and make "aww" noises over the dog. "I don't know why people [stop to pet him]. I guess it's just because he's a rare kind of dog." While some dogs are appreciated for their safety value, others are loved for the fun side of their personalities. "It's nice to have a little animal life around the house," said College sophomore and Phi Delta Theta brother Ezra Nanes. Kodiak is the mascot of the house, and the shared responsibility of all the brothers. While all the brothers take care of Kodiak, he was raised by Wharton junior and Phi Delt brother Scott Koenigsberg. Several other fraternities have dogs, and they are loved by all. Well, maybe not the mailman. Local mail carrier Tom Barksdale said that most of the time dogs are not a problem. But nevertheless a love-hate relationship definitely exists. "You bet it does," Barksdale said. "I got bit right under the arm by that dog over at 3643 [Locust Walk] back in September." He added that it was the first direct assault he has experienced at the jaws of a dog in his 20 years of delivering mail. "It was strange, believe me," said Barksdale. "I was just delivering a phone book, when the next thing I know, here's this dog coming at me. I remember back when that dog was a puppy. That's the kind of thing that makes me want to get rid of my own two dogs." In general, though, pets seem to have a big fan club around the campus. People with pets at home especially appreciate seeing animals around campus. "I miss my horses," said Wharton freshman Scott Nuttall. "I couldn't bring them." Although horses are conspicuously absent from the University campus, seeing pets around on the Walk or clandestinely in a friend's room will brighten anyone's day.

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