I frequently express my pride in the diversity among FAU’s students, faculty and staff, and we are happy to now extend that spirit of inclusiveness to our friends in the animal kingdom. It gives me great pleasure to announce that starting Fall 2017, FAU will be an animal-friendly campus.* We invite all Owls to bring their furry, feathered and other friends to join the vibrant community of animals already inhabiting our six campuses.

In order to accommodate this exciting change, our Boca Raton Breezeway renovations will include several cat trees, as well as hamster tubing running along the main walkway. The second floor is being considered as a possible site for the new aviary. Other campus additions include Fido Fountains, waste disposal systems, litter boxes and pet parks. The university also will offer animal meal plans, special activities and on-campus veterinarians and groomers.

FAU is one of the most diverse universities in the country, and I hope to see that reflected in our fauna. We welcome all animals, large and small, whether they walk, crawl, swim or fly. For more information and to register your animal, please visit http://fau.edu/animal/.

*Happy April Fools' Day! FAU is not becoming an animal-friendly campus — at least, not in the way the video suggests — but we still love our furry, feathered and other animal friends.