Dogs on Campus

By KENDELLE GRUBBS ‘20

Dogs! Bork borks! Puppies! If you don’t like canines, then you don’t have a heart. Milton might be a place of stress and too much work, but at least we have dogs to cheer us up. There’s nothing better than walking across the quad towards your next class and being greeted by a floofer running after a frisbee. Dogs are like 90% of the reason for why I’m still sane on this campus. Dogs are all good bois and, while the dogs here might not all be perfectly well trained, they’re still perfect in my eyes. I have not met every single dog on this campus, but there are some standouts that I would like to throw a bone to. 

Let’s start with my most controversial pick in this article: Winnie and Roo. The puppers are mixed mutts with a penchant for barking. Winnie and Roo strut around Milton with Ms. Lockwood right by their side. I had the blessing of hanging out with these beauties my freshman year when Ms. Lockwood was part of the Duty faculty. They were always full of energy and ready to jump and play when you walked into the room. Winnie is a small loaf of joy and Roo can bring a smile to anyone's face. Just a warning, though, these dogs are not big fans of men and will bark if you encroach on their territory. 

Next up is the English department queen herself, Pippa! I have been on a journey with Pippa since my Junior year. In Creative Writing, Ms. Pulit would take time from the start of class to give us pup-dates about her new Sheepadoodle puppy. Our class fell in love with the Cow-like pup and we were ecstatic when she came to school in May. Pippa is a service dog in training and while she might need a bit more puppy school, she makes up for it with her pure heart. Ms. Pulit knows how to treat her dog right and if you step into her classroom you’ll see an abundance of toys, a posh doggie bed and some scrumptious treats. If you want to get to know Pippa more, make sure to follow her on Instagram @Pippatheposhpup. You’ll even see me on there ;).

Now, I love all dogs equally, but there’s just one dog who has a special place in my heart: Chip. Literally, Chip is the king of everything and we are all just mortals who can never live up to his supreme regality. Chip is a part of Dr. Richard’s family and has been such a monumental part of my boarding experience. His calm and chill presence makes you just want to cuddle up with him even if you’re not a fan of dogs. He’s an old soul, but his graying fur makes him a silver fox just like Tom Brady. While Chip doesn’t play well with other dogs and will lose his mind if he sees one of the orange buggies Facilities drives sometimes, these quirks just add to his character and high standards. Chip might have been the first dog I had truly gotten to know on campus and our bond has grown tight over the years. Like all the dogs on campus, once you see him, your day will get brighter. 

Now, I can’t write about all the dogs on campus, but Rosie “The Obama’s Pup” Chung-Baker, Maizy “Bombastic Blonde” Klein-Ash, Olive “Queen Bitz” Beauchemin, and Bella and Toby “The Slobber Sweeties” Bean are some other pups you should get to know. Just this past Sunday, I learned that Ms. Zimmer had a dog who came from Alabama. We stan a southern queen. Dogs on campus are not only good to play with but also a great way to get to know the faculty on campus. I feel like I’ve learned about and met faculty who I never thought I would talk to, and their dogs were the stepping stone. If you see a dog out and about, say hi and spark a conversation with their owner. You might have a PAW-SOME time!