It's 6 p.m. and the dogs chase each other, frolicking across the field. The owners watch from a distance and laugh as the dogs scamper by with flopping tongues.
If you’re in need of some puppy love, stop by the High Rise Field around 6 p.m. each day and you’re bound to stumble upon a crowd of Penn pups and their proud owners. This pup round–up was originally unintentional, with owners bringing their dogs out to play, but it is now a coordinated event organized via GroupMe. The group formed as an iPhone group message until it reached its cap limit and became a GroupMe named “Puppy Parents.” Currently, there are 54 owners and primary puppy caretakers engaging in the GroupMe, scheduling when their pups are going to play.
Davis Polito (C ‘20), Shilo’s dad, says “I think the coolest thing about this group is how much it's grown since the beginning of the year. When I joined it was maybe ten or 15 people and now it has grown to 50–plus.” Davis hopes that Penn will eventually create a fenced area where dogs can mingle. Davis’ only advice to Penn students interested in getting their own pup: “Do not buy a puppy during the school year! Potty training was difficult enough over the summer whenever I had nothing else to do. I can’t even imagine what it would be like if I had classes.”
Street got to know some of the pups behind the GroupMe, but you’ll have to head to High Rise Field to meet the rest.
“The 3 Stellas”
Stella must have been a popular dog name this year, because there are three of them who play at High Rise Field. The three Stellas, ranging in sizes from small to medium to large, get along beautifully and often are documented together.
Stella:
Breed: Not 100% sure because she's a rescue, but she is definitely a Golden mix, probably with Shepherd (Aussie, maybe, because of her floppy ears)
Favorite toy: Light blue bone (she’s teething)
Favorite place on campus: The little gravel area next to the bike racks adjacent to the Dental School on Locust
Best doggy friend: Niko! (pic included below)
Squirrels?: Not a fan
Puppy Dad: Alexander Cohn (C '18)
Stella:
Breed: German Shepherd
Favorite toy: Frisbee
Favorite place on campus: High Rise Field (Bio Pond is a close second)
Best doggy friend: Probably Cheyenne
Squirrels?: Yes!
Puppy Dads: Nick Keenan (E '19) & Alec Keenan (W '19)
Shiloh:
Photo courtesy of Puppy Parents
Breed: Labrador Retriever and Pitbull
Favorite toy: Empty water bottle
Favorite Place on campus: The Kappa Sig/Phi Delt backyard (She lives in Phi Delt)
Best doggy friend: Theo!
Squirrels?: “Woof”
Puppy Dad: Davis Polito (C '20)
Queen Remi Do
Photo courtesy of Puppy Parents
Breed: 18–week–old Shorkie
Favorite toy: AmEx Bark Card
Instagram: @queen.remido
Favorite place on campus: High Rise Field
Best doggy friend: Marie, a five month old puppy in Seoul, South Korea
Squirrels?: No, because too similar in size
Puppy mom: Cindy Lim (W ’18) and Youlim Lee (C ’18)
Goldie
Photo courtesy of Puppy Parents
Breed: Shar Pei/Beagle mix
Favorite toy: Two tennis balls at the same time; she puts one in her mouth while playing soccer with the other
Favorite place on campus: She loves to watch students crossing the pedestrian bridge on Locust Walk (Class of 1949 Bridge)
Best puppy friend: One of the Stellas
Squirrels?: They're fun to chase but it's totally unfair that they can climb up the tree...can't compete with that
Puppy mom: Shelly Zilber (graduate student in the College)
Stella
Favorite toy: The super annoying purple squeaky ball
Favorite Place on Campus: The trail that goes along the Schuylkill river
Squirrels?: She absolutely loves to chase squirrels (she has never actually caught one, but did come away one time with a big chunk of tail fur)
Best friend: Moose
Fun Fact: She is afraid of the sound of beer cans opening, which is not the best for a frat dog. The fear came about when she accidentally walked beneath someone shotgunning a beer one time.
Puppy Parents: Brothers of Sigma Chi
And just for some more puppy pics for your enjoyment....
