Summer is coming, bringing longer days and higher temperatures, which means more dogs playing on campus. One dog could be found on or near the UA Mall Tuesday evening and one other was found after a thorough search of the grassy areas.
We found Sawyer lying on the ground next to his owner Whitney Mohr at a table near CC’s Coffee House. Mohr works at the UA as a community director for Babcock, Pima and Rawls/Eller Lodge Residence Halls. She has had Sawyer since August 2014.
Sawyer is a rescue dog. Mohr says he’s probably 3 or 4 years old, but she doesn’t know for sure. He wears a Superman collar and lies calmly on the concrete until it’s time for pictures.
Sawyer is not an ordinary dog. He’s registered as an emotional support animal, which means he can travel on a plane with his owner. Mohr said Sawyer loves to travel and she often takes him with her to visit her parents in Iowa.
“His favorite toy is his stuffed squirrel, because there aren’t any [real] squirrels here,” Mohr said.
Sawyer is originally from North Carolina, where squirrels are much more common, according to Mohr. Sawyer lives in Pima with his owner, who takes him for walks every day, usually around the Mall.
“He likes to people watch,” she said. “He likes to go sit somewhere and just observe and hope people come to pet him.”
Everyone thinks his or her dog is the best dog, including Mohr.
“There’s so many things that are special about him,” Mohr said. “He’s just all-around a perfect dog.”
Another dog was found playing on the lawn outside of Yuma Residence Hall. Luna, a miniature American Eskimo, ran around enjoying the nice weather. Her owners, Mallory Baker, a general studies senior, and Corey Suzukawa, had taken her for a walk around campus.
Luna, like Sawyer, comes from out of state. Her owners got her from a breeder in San Diego, Suzukawa’s hometown.
The American Kennel Club describes miniature American Eskimo dogs as perky, playful and smart, and Luna definitely fits the profile.
“We usually take her on four or five walks a day,” Suzukawa said.
Luna liked to lick everything, including the notebook, the camera and the other people around.
“She’s a hyper dog,” Baker said.
Luna lives in the Sol y Luna apartment, although she had the name first. She’s nine months old. Baker and Suzukawa have had her since she was a puppy.
Luna isn’t fully trained yet, but she can obey commands like “sit,” “stay” and “lie down.”
“She loves people, especially little kids,” Suzukawa said. “She likes other dogs too.”
During the interview, Luna was playing with her favorite toy, a squeaky tennis ball. Her owners said she had more of those at home and she loves them all.
“She’s a cuddly little snowball,” Baker said.
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