Our Furry Friends

After moving to St. Louis, I learned how overburdened the dog shelters are here. Every shelter in the city is over capacity and so many dogs are in need. To help out and get my dog fix in, I started fostering with a shelter called Center for Animal Rescue & Enrichment of St. Louis (CARE STL). It is completely free since they give you everything you need and provide vet care. All you have to do is provide a pup with a temporary home and love. You can foster a dog for any amount of time you want, even just a night or weekend. Any time out of the loud, stressful shelter does wonders for these dogs. Watching my foster dogs settle into a home, come out of their shell, and get adopted by their forever families has been so rewarding. I love having a walking buddy, cuddling with them while I study, and taking them to coffee shops and breweries! I have also met so many incredible friends through fostering. With our flexible schedule, it’s a very manageable time commitment. If you miss your furry friend but aren’t ready to get a pup of your own, consider fostering!

Having a dog is one of the most fulfilling experiences and I am so grateful to continue it during this medical journey. That being said, I want to express caution to anyone who is thinking of making such a big decision.

I have two very different experiences with owning a dog during medical school. A few weeks before orientation, I adopted an adorable 1-year-old Blue Tick Coonhound named Gracie from the Humane Society of St. Louis. Gracie was such a fun dog — we spent hours in Forest Park on walks and even more cuddling at home. That being said, Gracie was a shelter dog with habits and a personality completely new to me. She had severe separation anxiety that prevented her from being alone in a room, which worried me about the viability of leaving her alone for class and extracurriculars. Furthermore, she was still a puppy and had her puppy behaviors including intense mouthing! After two weeks, I realized that the best thing for her would be to take her back to the shelter to allow her to find the home best suited for her. It was hard, especially because we had bonded so much during the last few weeks, but it was the right thing to do.

Two months into school, I was feeling very homesick, missing my family back home. My mom offered to bring my childhood dog, Buttercup, to me when she came for the White Coat Ceremony. At first, I was hesitant after my experience with Gracie. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go through a similar situation, but then my mom started a flight attendant training program, meaning Buttercup would have nowhere to go but with me. I’m so glad that the decision was made for me because it was one of the best things that has happened to me. Buttercup is a senior dog (11 years old!) and a yorkie-chihuahua mix (8 pounds!), which was the perfect combination for me as a student. Senior dogs typically have a lot less energy than younger dogs and being a smaller dog allows her to be a lot easier to manage. Furthermore, being my childhood dog, we know each other well and don’t have to go through many growing pains together (aside from adjusting to the med school schedule). Cuddling her is one of the best perks, especially when I’m sad or I miss home. Walking her keeps me active and outside at least two times a day (though it can be annoying when it’s raining!), which has helped my mental health tremendously. Also, she gets along great with my roommate’s cat, Michael, which is a great perk.

To anyone considering getting a dog, I suggest keeping these few things in mind:

• Smaller dogs are easier to manage and require less time to get their energy out with walks.
• Older dogs are more relaxed and amenable to the med school environment.
• A dog that you know is a lot easier to interact with than a dog that you don’t!
• If you want to get a shelter dog, make sure you do it earlier so you have enough time to get to know the dog and have it adjust to your schedule. I suggest starting at least two months prior to school.
• It’s a financial and time commitment that may take from more “fun” things! Buttercup needed a $1600 emergency surgery before Thanksgiving, which prevented me from going home.
• Time away from a dog can be hard for the dog, so ensuring that you prioritize their social needs is a must.
• Having a furry friend at home, especially when living alone, can be amazing (and difficult!). Keep in mind what you plan to do during breaks. Air and train travel is typically more expensive with a pet.

I think if you’re in medicine, a cat is the best kind of pet to have. They’re way less work than a dog and without a doubt cuter. I adopted my cat, Soma, four years ago during the middle of the pandemic and she has been my study buddy since then. I can definitively say that so far in Phase 1, the two happiest parts of my day are when I come home and see her running to the door to greet me and when I go to bed and we get to cuddle together. Of course, owning a pet means that you are now responsible for another living thing, so you’ll need to learn how to unconditionally care for an animal, think about when to feed them, and consider who will take care of them if you leave for a trip or something similar. Despite those aspects, the positives are incredible, and I get an emotional support companion who is always a great conversation piece with other classmates who also have cats. If you’re thinking about getting a cat, I hope you look to adopt them from a local shelter here in St. Louis!

– Don N., M1

I adopted a kitten (Soup Dumpling) this fall from CARE STL, a local shelter. The shelter was amazing; they waived the adoption fee and initial healthcare costs and also gave me a little starter kit (food, toys, etc.). There are a lot of housing options very close to campus, so it’s super easy to run back home and feed/play with your cat during the middle of the day. Soup is super chill and it’s always great being able to play with him after a long day. Follow his Instagram @soupdumplingthecat!

– Mark X., M1