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Humane Society, UA club team up to bring attention to animal kindness

Students must remember the commitment of owning a pet, Humane Society rep says

As a puppy, Tiger the terrier was abused and neglected.

But since the affectionate dog was adopted from the Humane Society, he has become a mascot and an inspiration.

Tiger sat at a booth on the UA Mall Friday with members of Phi Lambda Phrateres, a campus service organization, and the Humane Society of Southern Arizona to remind students to be kind to animals and encourage spaying and neutering.

Reasa Haggard, Phi Lambda Phrateres philanthropy chair, said college students often see pets as more of a novelty than a living creature.

"I've always had animals since I was a little girl and always been taught to respect and appreciate them," said Haggard, a geography junior. "College students are hot for adopting animals because they want something cute and cuddly, and then when the school year's over, they give it back and most of those animals end up getting euthanized."

Tracy Charles, an education event specialist for the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, agreed, saying people who adopt animals should remember that they are making a commitment for the animal's entire life - however, this is not often the case with UA students.

"Most students are pretty short on time," Charles said.

Because of this, Charles said the UA is considered a "community challenge." The transitory nature of students often brings unwanted pets to shelters - especially as the school year ends and many students head to homes or jobs away from Tucson

Charles added that in 1998, 21,000 animals were euthanized in Pima County.

Charles said many students stopped by the booth with questions about adoption, housebreaking and how to handle rowdy pets. In addition to the information Charles and the Phi Lambda Phrateres members gave out, the Humane Society was able to collect donations, making for a successful appearance.

"Anytime we can get public exposure and public awareness it's a good day," Charles said.

Spanish sophomore Courtney Krause, Phi Lambda Phrateres secretary, said the club was excited to sponsor the event as both an awareness-raiser for the student organization and animals.

"We don't get the chance to do a lot of big events, so we thought this would be a good option to get us recognized and bring attention to a good cause at the same time," Krause said.