Barking good news for dog Lover’s

Are you worried about hosting an afterparty in your shared flat and having Grandma’s ashes end up at Bohemen? Or maybe you’re feeling cuddly and miss having someone to curl up on the sofa with? Could it be that you’re one of those who promised to work out more this year, but STILL haven’t started?

Journalist: Tobias Waage Bremnes

Illustratør: Marwa Nader

Translator: Theodor Kalager

FEAR NOT! Because dogs are now allowed in even more student housing units!

Last semester, SiÅs sent out a survey to gauge what students really think about pets in student housing. The answer was quite clear: almost everyone wants it. As a result, SiÅs is now opening the door for students to apply to keep dogs in even more student residences.

You might be wondering why exactly these residences were selected for pets? The answer is that SiÅs has mapped which buildings and housing types are best suited. In principle, dog ownership is also possible in studio apartments, shared apartments with private bathrooms, Utveien 6, and Pomona.

Although eight out of ten respondents were positive about allowing both dogs and cats, the SiÅs board ultimately decided that cats had to go. The mice can therefore continue dancing on the table for the foreseeable future. Rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, and reptiles are also not permitted.

But why is the cat still persona non grata? According to SiÅs board chair Kim André Nilsen, it comes down to both noise and allergies:

Which dorms allow animals?

The student welfare organization’s board has therefore decided that it will be possible to apply to keep dogs in the following residences:

- Skogveien 20 og 26

- Kajaveien 15 A og D

- Kaja Studentboliger + Fougnerbakken

- Pentagon – 12 stk 6-mannskollektiv

- Pentagon – 9 stk parleiligheter

- Herumveien 21 A og B i Pomona

- Utveien 6 B

- Skogveien 28

“In the discussion regarding cats as pets, some key points were that many outdoor cats in student housing areas could lead to more cat fights, and that cats outdoors and inside buildings could pose increased challenges for people with allergies.”

Students are still not entirely satisfied, however. In fact, just over half want to take it even further and believe pets should be allowed everywhere, as long as they don’t cause health issues. Board chair Kim André Nilsen says that allergy and fear considerations are the reasons only selected housing units can apply.

“We want to ensure that students who are allergic to or afraid of certain pets can live in student housing where these animals are not present, and have not previously been present either, due to fur and other allergy-triggering traces that may linger in the apartment.”

So, it may still be a while before Tora invites Thorvald home from Bodega to hear her kitty purr, but for now, at least he’ll have the company of man’s best friend.