The dog days of summer are over and students across the state are heading back to campus. But there's one famous face that's already been roaming the University of 黑料新闻 鈥� ready for game day.
Jonathan XIV has nearly and is considered a sports icon thanks to UConn鈥檚 many sports teams.
Jonathan鈥檚 handler, Erin McKeehan, is a senior at UConn and , which is the service fraternity that takes care of Jonathan.
McKeehan says Jonathan is used to all the attention.
鈥淲hen people don鈥檛 say 鈥榟i鈥� to him, either because they don鈥檛 want to bother him or because they don鈥檛 realize who he is, he sometimes [will] be walking and he鈥檒l turn his head around ... and he鈥檚 like, 鈥榃hat do you mean you鈥檙e not saying hi to me?鈥欌��
Husky history
Jonathan is the 14th Husky mascot that UConn has had since the university welcomed the first Jonathan on campus in 1935. The first Jonathan鈥檚 reign was cut short when he was hit by a car at only 6 months old.
According to his caregivers, Jonathan XIV has more than 12 people who keep a watchful eye over him. 鈥淗e鈥檚 got a whole team of people who walk him, take him to events, bring him to the vet, his doggy day care, the pet resort,鈥� McKeehan said.
Tracy Cree, the Alpha Phi Omega liaison for UConn, helps facilitate Jonathan鈥檚 care. Cree has worked with the dog since he was a puppy and said he gets multiple hours of training every day.
Despite how beloved the current Jonathan is, there was a time when students .
鈥淚n 1970, the Vietnam War was going on and the student government at the time said 鈥楯onathan represents the man and the establishment and we don鈥檛 want him here as a symbol of the institution.鈥� So they voted to get rid of him,鈥� McKeehan said.
Other students launched a petition to keep him and it was decided that Alpha Phi Omega would take care of Jonathan, which the organization has been doing for more than 50 years.
Leading the pack
UConn senior Ryan Garett said he couldn鈥檛 imagine his school without their beloved husky. 鈥淗e鈥檚 the heart and soul of UConn,鈥� Garett said.
Campus tour guide Ariana Nievez said seeing Jonathan always brightens people's day.
鈥淩unning into him is pretty nice. Like, you really do feel that school spirit and like you鈥檙e a part of UConn,鈥� Nievez said. 鈥淓veryone knows that once you get that picture with Jonathan, it鈥檚 solidified that you go to UConn, that鈥檚 the mascot and you really just brag about it.鈥�
University spokesperson Mike Enright said Jonathan鈥檚 profile has grown as the school has .
鈥淚 think as pride has grown at UConn over the years, it鈥檚 been a natural pride in Jonathan, and what he represents has grown as well. And like I said, everyone loves a cute dog,鈥� Enright said.
Despite the fame, his handlers said they try to give him a normal life outside of his mascot duties. When he鈥檚 not working, Jonathan stays with his host family. Their identity has been kept a secret for privacy and safety reasons.
鈥淲hen he鈥檚 home, he鈥檚 a house dog. He鈥檚 not supposed to be the micro-celebrity of the UConn mascot,鈥� McKeehan said. 鈥淏ut they鈥檙e really fantastic. They love him very, very dearly.鈥�
Time to retire?
Jonathan is 8 years old and will likely retire at some point in the next few years. He since he took over for Jonathan XIII, who retired at 6 years old because of stress and passed away last year.
According to his handlers, the current Jonathan will let them know when it鈥檚 the right time for him to retire.
鈥淯ltimately, Jonathan XIV will be the decider,鈥� McKeehan said, 鈥淚f there鈥檚 any indication he鈥檚 not enjoying it, then we鈥檒l get together.鈥�
McKeehan said one sign that Jonathan might be ready to be benched 鈥� the many bleachers to climb at Gampel Pavilion and Rentschler Field that could tire out an aging mascot. Regardless of when this Husky retires, for now, he鈥檚 enjoying the spotlight as much as he can 鈥� and some Dairy Bar ice cream.
