I'm an animal lover, but bringing pets to school is just impractical

Posted Dec. 11, 2022

By Elise Said

Cub Reporter

If you have ever visited our school library, there is a good chance you have run into our two library dogs Lady and Elfie, both of them are trained therapy dogs. Mx. DiFrances, our librarian, and their owner has partnered with Portland Area Canine Therapy Teams (PACTT) in order to allow the dogs on school grounds. However, this brings up the question, should regular pets be allowed at school?

 I understand why personal pets are discouraged from being brought to the school as they could pose a potential problem to students and staff alike. Between allergies, various phobias, and bad experiences, it’s understandably easier for the district to say no to pets on campus during school hours. Therapy animals are specially trained to be calm in a variety of situations, while normal pets may cause problems due to the things that happen during your average school day.

I know that perhaps some people may have had a class pet at various times in their lives but most likely it was a smaller, quieter, less harmless animal like a guinea pig or rabbit. And believe me, I wish that pets could be brought in on a regular basis but overall, it’s just impractical. Pets can be quite messy and no one wants to deal with that while in the middle of class. From a teacher's perspective, they could also pose as a source of distraction which could prevent important lessons from getting completed. If an animal has to be fed or use the bathroom it could end up being a huge mess.

On the other hand, bringing pets to school could help reduce student stress. It would also negate having to leave a pet at home alone where who knows what could happen. According to the National Institutes of Health, “ Interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood.” 

Overall, I side with the argument that regular pets should not be allowed at school. If the school approves it, then I feel that it is perfectly fine. There is just too much of a likelihood that something will go wrong and get a lot of people in trouble.