Keystone College in La Plume, Pennsylvania, will allow students to have dogs or other pets living with them in one of the residence halls.
The college says that Tewksbury Hall has been designated as a “pet-friendly residence” beginning in the fall 2024 semester.
The new designation applies not only to pets, usually dogs, classified as emotional support animals, but also to other traditional, non-emotional support pets.
The four-story residence hall has two floors of male residents and two floors of female residents.
“During the last few years, we have seen a steady increase in students requesting a pet-friendly residence hall option, not just for emotional-support animals but for other pets, too,” said Keystone Assistant Vice President of Student Life Carlyle Hicks. “Because of that, we felt the time has arrived to offer this new option to our students.”
The college says it has specifications as to the number and types of pets students may bring into the residence hall, as well as other rules that must be followed. For example, each residence hall room may contain one dog, and one cat or two small caged animals such as gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rabbits. Dog breeds such as pit bulls, rottweilers, German shepherds, and wolf hybrids are not permitted.
Other requirements include such items as certified spay and neuter records, pet tags, and photos of each animal. Liability insurance is also recommended, and roommates must agree to having a pet in the room.
The college says Other schools have opened some form of pet friendly residences in recent years: Penn Western University/Clarion, Lock Haven Commonwealth University, Johnson & Wales University, and Stetson University.
Keystone is 15 minutes from Scranton, Pennsylvania, and two hours from New York City and Philadelphia.
