Pets Allowed in Two Residence Halls

Shenandoah University invites students in designated residence halls to bring their animal friends to campus. 

According to the university’s new pet policy, pets are allowed to stay in designated rooms in two residence halls on the main campus: South Campus Commons and Edwards Residential Village. Pet owners must complete and file a pet registration application and must receive approval before bringing the pet to campus.

Shenandoah recognizes that pets can play a valuable role in helping students transition to residential campus life. For example, pets can help students make friends by acting as an icebreaker. Pets may also be good exercise partners, or companions to alleviate homesickness.”

Shenandoah’s New Pet Policy

Residents are only permitted one pet, and each room in the residence halls can only have one pet in it. Pets can be large, such as dogs (weighing 40 pounds or less), cats, rabbits, birds (measuring 16-32 inches) and chinchillas, or small, such as fish, birds (measuring less than 16 inches), rats, hedgehogs, hamsters, sugar gliders, gerbils, guinea pigs, amphibians, and small reptiles. 

Pets cannot be non-native or exotic. 

Pet owners will be responsible for protecting the rights of all community members as well as the physical beauty of the campus.

Pet owners will be charged an annual fee to bring their pet to school. 

If an animal misbehaves, Residence Life will determine the seriousness of the pet’s actions. As a general rule, if the pet misbehaves three times or becomes overly aggressive, the pet owner may be prohibited from bringing the pet to campus again. They’ll also be responsible for any expenses and cleaning resulting from their pet’s behavior.

All pets must be in good health while living on campus. Larger pets must be on leashes at all times outside the owner’s room unless they are in two exercise locations: one behind the Brandt Student Center and one near South Campus Commons.