BATESVILLE — Students packing their bags for Lyon College in Batesville this fall might also want to pack a bag for Fluffy or Fido.
Beginning in August, the college will have its first pet-friendly residence hall.
Bryan Hall has been identified as the living quarters for up to 20 students who want to bring a dog or a cat — one or the other, not both — with them.
Patrick Mulick, vice president for student life and dean of students, said Lyon College has the only pet-friendly residence hall that he knows of in Arkansas and one of few in the country.
“It was sort of a collaborative idea,” Mulick said. Service and emotional-support dogs were already allowed on campus.
“What we started to see was more and more students wanted emotional-support animals and are making those requests,” he said. “Looking at empirical literature, pets really do have a positive impact on students’ physical and mental well-being.”
This will be the third year that Lyon College senior Nichole Cook of Searcy has had an emotional-support animal — her cat, Morrie — lives with her. Cook, who is majoring in English and art, is a resident assistant and president of Sigma Tau Delta, an English honor society.
“I’ve found that he has helped me personally to succeed at Lyon, both academically and socially,” Cook said. “More than that, though, I’ve seen his presence positively affect the lives of the students I work with in the dorms. As an RA, I look out for the students at Lyon and those on my floor in particular, and everyone benefits from the little furball. I’ve seen similar things happen with other ESAs across campus: animals having a positive impact on a student’s well-being. While not everyone qualifies medically for an ESA, everyone can benefit from having the love of an animal in their life. That’s why I’m excited to see the implementation of pet-friendly housing. More than just the pet owners’ lives will be enriched by the pets living here with their family at Lyon.”
Students, who must register with the Residence Life Office, will pay an additional $580 a year for the privilege, plus a $50 nonrefundable fee and a $100 refundable damage deposit.
Work was scheduled to begin last week on a fenced-in dog park on campus, Mulick said. It will be created on a grassy area between apartment row and a parking lot.
Among the amenities will be “agility-type things for the dogs,” Mulick said. “We’re trying to do something where the dogs at least get the most amount of entertainment in the area as possible.”
Pets will be welcome throughout campus, said Eric Bork, associate vice president of marketing. The college’s new coffee shop, appropriately named The Salty Dog, will have treats for pets and students. Mulick said the coffee shop was named before the pet policy was adopted.
Lyon College President W. Joseph King said in a press release that the college will be the only pet-friendly college from Texas to Virginia.
“It is exciting to move Lyon in a more pet-friendly direction,” he said. “Like many of our students, my family has had beloved dogs and cats. We know how much they are a part of your life. Therefore, this change seemed like a progressive step for student life at the college. Initial reaction from current and prospective students has been very positive.”
Mulick said that as of last week, approximately 10 students have applied to bring a pet to the dorm — most of the pets are dogs.
Some breeds are not allowed in the city, in accordance with a Batesville municipal code. These breeds include the American pit bull terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier, the American Staffordshire terrier, or any dog who is the direct descendant of or appears to be one of the preceding.
The dogs (and cats) cannot be larger than 50 pounds. Dogs must be at least 1 year old, and families must have had the canines for 10 months. Cats must be at least 6 months old and have been with a family for at least a year.
Small aquatic animals have been allowed previously in all residence halls and will continue to be — if they “can comfortably fit in a 10-gallon or less tank,” according to the college’s website.
At Lyon College, animals will receive a pet blessing each October from college chaplain Maggie Alsup. The celebration is typically held on Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals.
Mulick said Lyon started offering pet-obedience courses in the spring and will continue those.
“Anytime you’re adding another living thing to a college campus, you want to make sure everyone is as prepared as possible,” he said.
The pet-friendly rooms could expand into other residence halls on campus, he said.
“The idea was, let’s start with one building, and let’s see how it goes and see how much interest we have, work out the kinks, so to speak, and make adjustments,” Mulick said. “Our main priority is doing things as smoothly as possible, making sure we’re taking care of the animals, as well as taking care of the students.”
More information is available at www.lyon.edu/pet-life or by emailing Kimberly Hinds-Brush, director of campus life, at kimberly.hindsbrush@lyon.edu.
Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.