It’s a Saturday morning, but Megan Reaux wakes up bright and early to the sound of barking from her furry friends. She may have no plans for the day but an early awakening is her fate. Reaux’s basset hound, Imogen, and beagle, Geoffrey, help relieve her from the stress of the daily grind but also add to her list of responsibilities.Reaux, University law student, rescued both dogs. She found Geoffrey at PetSmart on an adoption day and Imogen at Petfinder.com.  She instantly fell in love with the two breeds’ large ears and calm nature.”They’re good dogs for my lifestyle. They’re just low energy, gentle and nice dogs,” Reaux said. Reaux begins her day at 7 a.m. to let her dogs outside. She gets home from school at 4 p.m. and then brings them to the dog park to play for an hour. She then completes her tasks for the day with her dogs at her side.”It’s nice to have them around as a fun break from school,” Reaux said. “They make me smile. Even having their company while watching TV is comforting,” she said.When an apartment became too small to accomdate her two dogs, Reaux moved into a house to provide them with a yard.Despite the unconditional love and happiness pets can bring, there are setbacks to owning a pet. Reaux said she feels guilty when leaving her pets alone in the house. Geoffrey used to misbehave when left alone, so she bought Imogen as a companion. The dog now gets into less trouble. However, the canine pals recently destroyed the living room rug. Reaux said the biggest burden of caring for her pets is the financial responsibility it entails. She pays $50 for flea medication, $60 for heartworm medication and $60 for dog food every two months. She also pays $400 a year for veterinary visits. Over Christmas break, she paid $700 to remove a benign growth off Imogen’s back. Reaux is completely responsible for her pet’s expenditures.Veterinarian Brett Berryhill feels that owning a pet does add to the stress levels of college students.”A pet is a responsibility and a luxury,” Berryhill said. He said most students buy pets on impulse and do not consider the financial responsibility, time consumption, medical needs and living situation that some pets require.Because the average life span of cats and dogs is 12 to 16 years, Berryhill says that students should look into the long-term care that the pet would require.With more apartment complexes becoming pet-friendly it is easier for college students to maintain pets. However, students must still take into account returning home for the holidays, potential internships and frequent residential moves before taking in a pet.Because the law school lifestyle does not leave Reaux with extra funds to spend on boarding her dogs while she travels, she leaves them with family members.  While Berryhill finds the average college student’s lifestyle too inconsistent to properly care for a pet, Reaux disagrees.”There is so much instability in a college student’s life that having a pet adds an element of stability that can be very comforting,” she said.The Baton Rouge area has an overabundance of stray animals, according to Hilton Cole, director of East Baton Rouge Animal Control Center, This is caused by residents not following the leash law and not spaying or neutering their pets.Animal Control keeps stray dogs for six days and stray cats for four days before the animals are euthanized. 80 percent of domesticated animals sent to the pound are euthanized.”Unfortunately students give up more pets than any other age group,” Cole said.The Animal Protection and Welfare Society provides a solution for students who miss the affection pets can provide. APAWS is a volunteer organization that finds foster homes for dogs and cats. Students can have the benefits of a pet but can return the animal to the program if they no longer have the accommodations. The situation is ideal for students who want the companionship of a cat or dog but may not know their future living situations. The majority of the foster parents are students.Emily Harris, vice president of APAWS and cat foster chair, explained that APAWS provides food and medical care for all the animals in the program. They ask the foster parent to provide a responsible and stable environment. On Saturdays the parent must also bring the animal to the Petsmart on Siegen Lane from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for adoption days.Opinions still vary on whether students make decent, responsible pet owners, but programs such as APAWS provide opportunities for students who want a pet but aren’t sure if they are ready for the commitment.Students interested in volunteering at APAWS can visit www.apawspets.org.——Contact Lindsay Nunez at [email protected]