Students “rented” rescue dogs on Thursday afternoon.
The program, Rent-A-Pup, is hosted in front of the Burnett’s Honors College in conjunction with Pet Rescue by Judy and UCF HERO (Honors Educational Reach Out) each month for free.
Pet Rescue by Judy is a dog rescue located in Sanford, FL that comes to UCF once a month with an average of 10 available rescue dogs for students to rent.
Madelyn Nurge was one of dozens of students who were already lined on the sidewalk in front of the Burnett’s Honors College at 10:30 a.m., eager to play with the dogs who would be arriving at 11 a.m.
“I really miss my dog at home so it’s nice to see a dog and play with it for a while,” said Nurge, a freshman at UCF. “I don’t really care what breed, I just want to see a dog.”
By the time ‘Rent A Pup’ started, some students had to wait for over an hour in order to spend time with a fluffy companion.
“I waited in line for an hour and half,” said Kayla Budney, a freshman student who was playing with a small dog named Pudding. “I haven’t spent time with my dogs since summer classes started so it was well worth waiting for pudding.”
Some pups such as Aspen could be seen chasing lizards and sniffing every available tree in her vicinity.
While this program provides interaction and companionship for the dogs currently waiting for adoption, it also provides students with a unique way to relieve stress and homesickness.
“Being with the dogs gives them a time to relax and enjoy life, the simple things,” said Tali Trenkamp, a volunteer with Pet Rescue by Judy. “It also gives them the chance to be with someone who isn’t judging or grading them.”
All dogs who come to a ‘Rent A Pup’ event are available for adoption and further volunteer opportunities are available at Pet Rescue by Judy’s facility which is located only 30 minutes away from UCF’s main campus.
