November 29, 2020 – With most of the staff being dog owners, Philosophy Faculty Osijek has made the decision to become the first university institution in Croatia to which students can bring their pet dogs
The singular city of Osijek is well known for many reasons – the fantastic food of Slavonia and Baranja, the spectacular Old Town of Tvrđa, the Drava river along which the city stretches, one of the current top teams in the national football league and a university that produces excellent graduates in many different subjects, not least computer sciences.
In 2020, Osijek University has been earning a name for itself among the dog-lovers of Croatia. Ivana Kramer, a dog-owner and dog shelter volunteer, this year became Croatia’s first animal rights lawyer after graduating from the Faculty Of Law at Osijek University. And Philosophy Faculty Osijek stands as the only such institution in Croatia that students can come to with their pet dogs.
“The decision to become pet friendly was made by the Faculty Council, and according to these rules, animals entering the building must be accompanied by their owners, on a leash or in a transporter,” Vice-dean of Philosophy Faculty Osijek, Milica Lukić told Jutarnji List journalist Zrinka Korljan in an interview published 27 November. “Also, the owners at the gatehouse report the animal they are entering with, say how long they intend to stay and show an ID card. When leaving the building, they report to the gatehouse again so that we have information that the pet has left the faculty space.”
Philosophy Faculty Osijek has been allowing dogs to attend for two years now. Pets can’t actually go into class with their student owners, but they can accompany them to the library. During lectures, the dogs have their own space where they can wait. Water and dog food is provided at the faculty entrance.
Other reasons prompting the decision to open the Philosophy Faculty Osijek to pets were that most of the staff were dog or cat owners and that it was noticed attendees who made short visits to the faculty were forced to tie up their dogs outside. Though the Jutarnji List interview also mentions cats in addition to dogs, no mention is made of provisions for students with more exotic pets such as snakes or tarantulas. Perhaps that’s going a little too far. Being the only faculty in Croatia that welcomes dogs is maybe good enough for now.
