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Pet Policies & Registration

Pet Program Rules, Requirements and Restrictions

Please read this information in its entirety to understand the rules, requirements and restrictions of the Stephens College Pet Policy. You will be asked to verify your understanding and acceptance of this information when submitting the registration form.

Allowed Pets

• Cats — must be a minimum of six (6) months old and spayed/neutered. No exceptions will be made. They must be spayed/neutered; litter box trained; current on all vaccinations, including FVCRP, rabies, FELV/FIV negative; current on flea/tick preventatives; must be registered with the City of Columbia and must wear tags. Cats must be crated when student is not in the room.
• Dogs — must be a minimum of six (6) months old and spayed/neutered. No exceptions will be made. They must be house broken; spayed/neutered; current on all vaccinations, including DHLPPV, rabies, and bordatella; heartworm tested; current on flea/tick preventatives; must be registered with the City of Columbia and must wear tags. Dogs must be crated when student is not in the room.
• Rabbits, hamsters, rats, mice, gerbils, sugar gliders, guinea pigs, and lizards — must be kept in an aquarium or other appropriate housing when student is not in the room.
• Birds — must be kept in cage or other appropriate housing when student is not in the room.
• Fish — may be kept in a wet aquarium, not to exceed 40 gallons.

If you have a pet that is not listed above, please contact the Office of Student Experience for more information: studentexperience@stephens.edu or (573) 876-7145.

Prohibited Pets

• The following dog breeds or any derivative/mixes thereof are prohibited:
  • Pit Bull
  • Rottweiler
  • German Shepherd
  • Chow
  • Akita
  • Wolf breeds
  • Any mix containing these listed above
  • Any aggressive breed
• Snakes
• Spiders

Pet Fostering

A limited number of students may have the opportunity to foster pets from Columbia Second Chance while living on campus. CSC will keep the fostered animal during breaks and will provide food and medical care. Students who foster must provide all proper paperwork for each animal that you foster and notify the Community Director of your building when you get a new animal. Students may foster one pet at a time. For more information email studentexperience@stephens.edu.

Pet Program Registration

In order to house a pet on the Stephens College campus, you must complete three steps:

1. Complete and submit your Pet Program Registration Form. All registration documentation must be submitted prior to the pet residing in a residence hall.  You will need to have the following documents available to upload:

• A recent photo or your pet
• Your pet’s veterinary records showing up to date vaccinations

2. Pay your Pet Fee. Pet fees are due to the Office of Student Experience at the beginning of each academic year that your pet is on campus. Fees must be paid prior to your pet’s arrival on campus. These fees cover the cost of cleaning and disinfecting residence hall rooms and maintenance of pet facilities.

• The annual, non-refundable fee for a dog or cat is $220. 
• The annual, non-refundable fee for a cage- or aquarium-dwelling pet (i.e. hamster, rabbit, bird, lizards) is $50. 
• There is no fee for fish in a small aquarium. Aquariums may not be larger than 40 gallons.

3. License your Pet with the City of Columbia. Cats and dogs must be registered with the City of Columbia. You will not be able to do that until you arrive in Columbia. Registering your pet has to be done in person through one of the following means:

• Directly with the City of Columbia at their office located at 1005 West Worley
• Through a local veterinarian when administering vaccines

Your City of Columbia License must be obtained within two (2) weeks of arrival on campus and uploaded through the following link. Please retain the original copy in your personal pet file. If your license is issued for multiple years, it is still required to upload again at the beginning of each academic year.

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