In a dark corner of the Amsler Campus Center’s third floor sits office 318, a now bleak space with nothing inhabiting it, a stark contrast to the student excitement that once filled the room.
This space once belonged to Maple, the campus’ comfort dog, and a beloved icon of MCLA, with a fame rivaling Murdock. Besides students’ love for Maple, she was a great benefit to the MCLA community, providing students a way to relieve stress during the difficult times that come with adjusting to college life.
According to Certapet, 98% of people feel an increased sense of motivation, 94% feel less anxiety and 89% have a reduction in panic attacks and are able to resume education and work with the help of emotional support animals. Maple was a part of a post-Covid increase in ESA’s, a rise of more than 30% in the past few years.
Unfortunately, as Maple’s owner, Christopher Hantman, recently accepted a new job, he is no longer able to consistently bring Maple onto campus, resulting in Maple no longer being MCLA’s emotional support dog. This situation creates a new era for MCLA’s health services, with the introduction of Joey into the Trailblazer community.
Joey, an 8-year-old golden retriever, and Nancy, his “pet-mom” are located on the main floor of the Mark Hopkins building in Nancy’s office (or the Wellness lounge on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays). Many students have visited Joey during his first week to better get to know him.
One of these students, Theo Baker, class of ’27, says “Joey’s good. He’s a fluffy little dog, and he’s so fun. He’s also very huggable.”As a golden retriever, Joey is very soft, and students love spending time petting him. The reaction to Joey has been overwhelmingly positive, with students raving about how sweet he is. It didn’t take students long to learn more about Joey, with one student, Sasha Fettig, class of ’27, saying: “He loves to be outside, and he’s very energetic. He cares about people and he’s a lovely guy. I love him.”
Since his initial introduction to campus, Joey has been spotted many times outside of Mark Hopkins going on walks with his owner and greeting students. Even among students who have yet to meet Joey, there is excitement in the air. Every student that the Beacon has talked to has mentioned wanting to meet Joey, simply because of how adorable he is. Another student says “I haven’t met him yet, but he’s so cute!”
Despite Joey’s cuteness, the support he will provide to students will soon become clear. Many students have felt much more comfortable in the adjustment to college since meeting Joey, and many more plan to see Joey before October’s burnout season starts. So far, there haven’t been any complaints about Joey, instead, it is clear that students love him. The Beacon is extremely excited to see where Joey’s journey takes him, and cannot wait to watch more students fall in love with him.
