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Photo credit: Courtesy of Chris Roellke |
Lost and Found! A Tale of Two Dogs
Any Vassar student can rattle off a list of expectations for a typical day: a stroll through College Center, lunch at ACDC, study in the library, and, of course, reading the requisite all-campus e-mails covering a never-ending stream of events—Preregistration! H1N1 Vaccines! Weekend activities! But on November 14, Vassar students received an unusual notification: Chris Roellke, dean of the college, was seeking help in the search for two of his dogs. At 10:30 a.m., Roellke notified students that "two of our three dogs (Jeter—a Springer spaniel mix—and Gullaby—a toy sized poodle type mix) got out of Pratt House very early this morning and have not returned. They have been missing for about 5 hours.” Students received another e-mail at 4:15 p.m., with the update: "Still no luck finding our much beloved pets...very unusual for them to be gone this long."
Popular student blog MadsVassar posted the news briefs as they trickled in—it fast became a forum for both Roellke and students, who commented on the status of the search and posted notes of support for Roellke and his family. Roellke kept students abreast of developments, and, via the blog, reported the eventual discovery of both dogs, safe and unharmed—Jeter was found along Route 44 in Poughkeepsie, and Gullaby “with a very nice family across the river in Highland.” Students continued to post messages in the wake of the search, relieved and surprised at the happy ending. One incredulous MadsVassar reader, Katie, commented, “Across the river?!? In Highland?!?! That is one crazy adventurous pup.” Shown here, safe at home, are Jeter and Gullaby.