Do you know people who have pets while in college? I can name more than 15 off the top of my head, and chances are you can, too.

Pets are wonderful. They keep you company, give you someone to talk to and, if you’re lucky, might even help you make some friends.

Some students get dogs with their significant others to solidify their relationships, and others get pets to get over a break up.

The reasons for purchase vary, but one thing that many tend to forget is with a pet comes great responsibility.

Puppies and kittens are cute, adorable and fluffy but they should wear a label: “BUYER BEWARE – I will ravenously devour your favorite pair of shoes, terrorize your roommates belongings, pee on your rug, and then watch gleefully as you clean up my mess. Still want me?”

Too many of us college students get a pet without knowing what we are in for.

Let me give you a couple secrets to keep in mind when purchasing a pet:

 Are pets even allowed where you live? Chances are your landlord probably doesn’t want dog pee all over their hardwood floors or claw marks on their freshly painted walls and banisters.

 You’ve had a pet before, but did your parents do the poop scooping?

 Are you out of the house too much? (If you frequent Bourbon Street power hour more that three times a week, that means yes.).

 Do you have reliable friends or family you can leave your pet with? And even if you do, it’s not their pet – it’s yours – so you should be the one cleaning up after it.

 When you’re home, how much attention can you give your pet? (If your only home to grab a bite to eat before heading to the gym or work, then this means you.)

Still want a pet?

If so, then perfect. Athens is full of spacious, beautiful parks for you and your dog to enjoy: Memorial Park, Sandy Creek Park, Ben Burton Park, Intramural Fields of UGA, Petropolis Indoor Dog Park, and the newest Athens dog park, “Wiggley Field” Southeast Clarke Park Dog Park just to name a few.

But on the flip side, let’s say your semester has become ridiculously busy between class, friends and football. You’re suddenly faced with the reality that you can no longer deal with having a pet. Would you ever abandon your beloved kitty named Cain?

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, between four and six million animals are surrendered to shelters each year, and approximately half of them are euthanized because there is not enough space to keep them all.

Luckily for us Athenians, as of this July, Athens Area Humane Society has become a “No-Kill” shelter.

In the past, when an animal was sent to the Humane Society Shelter it’s chances of a quality life were not optimistic. The organization euthanized around 70% of the animals that came through the door.

However over the past two years, the Athens Area Humane Society has changed their focus to saving lives. They’ve done this by becoming one of the only open admission shelters with a 0% euthanasia rate for healthy adoptable animals. How’s that for results?

If that wasn’t enough, the Athens Area Humane Society offers vaccination, flea treatment, microchip identification, and more services for less than it costs for a case of beer or a dinner downtown – so there’s no excuse to not give our furry friends the care they need.

- Caty Dickensheets is a senior from Savannah majoring in newspapers