By Maram Sharif ’22
Because the last “Meet the Campus Dogs” article served as an awesome energy-booster for many, The Highlander Newspaper would like to present you with a second edition. Our furry friends make days that are filled with an overwhelming amount of workload a lot more bearable, and we are grateful for them. In this article, we feature three special dogs: Maggie, Lucy, and Rigby.
Mr. Leathers tells us about everyone’s favorite: Maggie:
“Maggie is a rescue dog and we have owned her for close to 12 years. We believe she is 13 as she was one year old when we brought her into our home. She is an amazing, loving dog who always wants to hang out with us either on the couch or sleep between my wife and me in our bed. She is a mixed breed; we believe she is part poodle and part Havanese, possibly with other breeds mixed in as well. She is a faithful companion and loves to be petted and will readily roll over to have her belly rubbed. She loves tennis balls and we have a basket of balls by the door, which she sticks her head in to pick up a ball whenever we take her out for a walk. She loves to run after tennis balls on the side lawn next to Teddy House and she loves to be petted by any students who are interested. She is truly a special dog.”
Ms. Giroux’s Lucy is loved by the residents of Van Sinderen, and here’s why:
“Lucy is an Australian Cattle Dog mix. She’s about 12 or 13 now, and we’ve been together since the spring of 2012 when I adopted her from DAWS over in Bethel, CT. Lucy is a quirky, anxious little dog with a big personality. She’s a rebel without a cause, loves sweaters, and is a huge Phoebe Bridgers fan. Her favorite food by far is pizza. Her talents include curling up into the world’s smallest ball and sniffing out treats from any and all pockets. She has a lot of energy (and is very curious/nosy) so there is a very good chance you will see us walking around campus multiple times throughout the day. Lucy loves people but her rough start to life made her dog-reactive, so while she would love to meet you, she would appreciate staying far away from any other campus dogs.”
Finally, Mr. Turner introduces us to Rigby, an enormous yet gentle English Mastiff:
“Rigby Turner was born on August 10, 2019. At two-and-a-half years old, she weighs 165-170 lbs. Mastiffs are known to keep growing, mainly in weight, through the first four years of their lives. Even though she is enormous, she is not a chowhound. We feed her twice a day, but she only eats if she is hungry. Rigby’s gentle, caring, playful, but independent personality is typical for her breed. She is not aggressive but has no problem chasing a bear from our property. She has different kinds of barks. There is the pleading: “I want to go outside” or “come inside” bark which if you do not get up fast enough to suit her, turns louder, more annoying, and in-your-face, “I-want-t- go-out” or “come-in” bark. Mastiffs are known to drool; a bodily function played up to great comedy effect in Turner and Hooch, a film featuring Tom Hanks and his key witness to a murder, Hooch, a Dogue De Bordeaux (French Mastiff). There is a lot of drooling with Rigby following a visit to the water bowl, and you may want to avoid walking next to her when she shakes her head on a hot day. However, these minor inconveniences don’t compare to the joy she brings us. It’s hard not to love a gentle four-legged friend that is as big or maybe bigger than you!”
