When taking a stroll around campus, students may notice many new additions. The sights of sports teams practicing on the quad and of underclassmen girls exiting Scaife may be a shock to the system, but the most surprising spectacle of all is the five new puppies that now call Deerfield home.
However, it is not only the canine influx that has people talking, but the fact that three share the same parents. Ellie, Riggins, and Quito are four-month-old Golden Retrievers from a litter that came from a breeder in South Deerfield. Ellie found a home with Assistant Director of Admissions Dave Irwin and science teacher Mandy Irwin, while Riggins belongs to history teacher Tim McVaugh and Quito to Spanish teacher Sam Bicknell.
The new puppies are certainly taking Deerfield by storm. Mr. Bicknell admitted that although Quito “adds to an already busy life, he loves people,” and has become the “mascot” of Doubleday 3. Also according to Mr. Bicknell, Quito and Riggins spend a few hours each day playing together as well as with the other dogs on campus.
Sister Ellie’s owner Mr. Irwin added, “It’s been a lot of fun to be able to raise Ellie on such a beautiful, dog-friendly campus like Deerfield. She is a lucky pup and we’re thankful she has so many playmates in the neighborhood—two and four-legged!”
The canine craze raged on when, as an early birthday present for their son Declan, biology teacher Dennis Cullinane and his wife Karen purchased 11-week-old Golden Retriever Snowy. “Living on a hall is great for the puppy!” Mrs. Cullinane exclaimed, and seeing the white ball of fluff tear up and down Harold Smith 1 is certainly a testament to her declaration.
Not the least of these newcomers is the puppy born on a Friday in February and given to his new owner at the Friday night dinner of the class of 1961’s 50th reunion. This seven-month-old yellow lab named Friday can be seen roaming the campus, either on the leash of Head of School Margarita Curtis herself or a student—to relieve stress or just for fun—taking him for a stroll during a free period or after a sit-down meal.
“Friday loves the other puppies,” Dr. Curtis said. “Next to food, playing with his fellow puppies is his favorite thing.”
Jamie Haddad ’12 added, “The dogs bring a whole new energy to the campus, as well as relieve stress.”
There is one feature, however, that the faculty failed to anticipate in unleashing this flood of puppies upon the campus. In the following months, the number of excuses involving canines chewing up assignments is sure to escalate.