By leaving her at home, Halfhill said he felt as if he lost part of his identity. This year, finding housing that allowed pets was mandatory.

“There’s something about having that companion that is always next to you, that hops in the car to go with you to go to the store,” he said. “It’s something that you can’t replace.”

Nikolina Antonacopoulos, a psychology graduate student at Carleton University in Ottawa, in Canada, conducted a study in March to discover the psychological health benefits of owning a pet for individuals who live alone.

Antonacopoulos said there were two sides to the study results.

If people lived alone and had high human social support, dog owners were less lonely. But if people had low levels of social interaction, dog owners did not experience positive psychological benefits. In fact, if their attachment to the pet was high, loneliness and depression levels were increased.

“These findings suggest that it may not be beneficial for people to become highly attached to their pet if they lack human social support,” Antonacopoulos said in an e-mail.

Halfhill said his experience confirms the study results since the pressures of college make having Rugby even more important.

“There’s just something about dogs that makes them programmed to cheer you up,” he said.

Tim Pychyl, associate professor of psychology at Carleton University, supervised Antonacopoulos’ research and said he has 11 dogs, but research has shown pets cannot fill a void of human interaction.

“I look at dogs as a wonderful loving species, but they are not humans,” Pychyl said. “People don’t conceptualize the animal as another species.”

Although the study showed people living alone without much social interaction did not receive significant health benefits, Pychyl said if high levels of human support, such as the typical college student’s experience, are present, the pet companionship does add to lowering negative moods and depression.

“The rich get richer,” he said. “If you have high levels of human support, then the dog will provide added support.”

Marissa Keep, a music performance junior, said having her cat Eli allows her to place her focus healthily beyond herself.

“Because there’s a living creature you’re responsible for, it helps get your mind off of your problems,” Keep said.

In previous semesters, Lansing’s Capital Area Humane Society, or CAHS, has partnered with MSU’s Department of Residence Life to provide puppies and kittens to rent for a short amount of time during finals week.

Eric Langdon, director of development at CAHS, said he has read similar research about the role of animals in healthy lifestyles.

“It was a fun and unique way to benefit students and use it as a fundraiser as well,” he said.

In general, Langdon said he believes people are looking for a form of companionship and living in the dorms is not conducive to owning a pet.

“That bond is missing for many students, and this program allows for that,” he said. “Finals couldn’t be a better time to do it when everyone is stressed and needs an outlet.”

Halfhill said owning a pet makes him a more rounded individual.

“I understand why you can’t have pets in the dorms and some apartments, but I think the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks,” he said.

Beyond psychological benefits, Pychyl said other research also has shown reductions in stress levels when people are petting dogs.

“Associating with animals can be very calming,” he said. “As much as I said it can’t replace human relationships, it is still a real relationship.”