Problem Part 1: A 2024 survey by ActiveMinds found that approximately 65% of college students report feeling lonely.

Problem Part 2: New York City pet shelters are overcrowded with un-fostered pets.

Solution: Combat student loneliness at NYU by creating a pet fostering program. A nationally representative survey of pet owners and non-pet owners commissioned by HABRI and Mars Petcare found that 85% of respondents agree that interaction with pets can help reduce loneliness.