Wuhan College to Let Students Bring Pets to Campus Under New Pilot

A private college in Wuhan is preparing to allow some students to bring approved pets to campus this fall under a pilot program with registration, identification and restricted-access rules, Jimu News reported on Sunday.

Wuhan College of Engineering Science announced the policy in a new-semester notice issued on August 24. The pilot will initially be open only to eligible students, with application details to be released through individual schools within the college.

The approved list includes small dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs and birds. Large or aggressive dogs, as well as animals such as snakes and lizards, will be prohibited.

Students will have to complete a four-stage process covering an individual application, a preliminary review by their school, a joint review and final registration. Each approved animal will receive a campus pet registration certificate and an identification tag containing a chip, while the college will keep an electronic file for every pet.

Pets will be allowed in designated areas including an animal care center, a pet park and a lakeside walking route. They will be barred from teaching buildings, dining halls, the library and other shared indoor spaces.

Owners will be required to keep pets on a leash, clean up after them and sign a responsible-pet pledge. The student owner will bear primary responsibility for the animal's conduct and care.

The college said the program was also intended to support hands-on learning. Its official website said in July that it was preparing applications for new undergraduate programs, including animal science and veterinary medicine.

The college also plans to work with companies, alumni and nonprofit groups around graduation time to arrange adoption or temporary boarding for pets that students cannot continue to care for, according to Jimu News.