Dogs are a familiar presence on the Bishop’s campus, but how well do you really know some of our four-legged friends? Whether you adore them or avoid them, you can’t deny that they’re a part of our community, and you should get to know a few of the canine companions that bring just a little bit of joy to our daily lives. 

Lady Bird (Birdy):

Owner: Ms. Amy Allen – English teacher

Breed: Unsure of breed, but most likely a dachshund-golden retriever mix.

Age: Around 2 years old.

Background: Fostered by Ms. Laine Remignanti until she was adopted by Ms. Allen.

Favorite Activity on Campus: Just being on campus is enough for Birdy… she loves to learn! She’ll start to get excited when she gets close to the school. 

Fun Fact: She is very extroverted and enjoys the company of students, acting as an emotional support dog during English classes. 

Quote from Owner: “Students love her. They seem crazy about her, as far as I can tell. They often say it makes English class better to have Birdy in the room.” – Ms. Allen

Student Thoughts: “She’s not aggressive at all… she just really likes to tear her toys into really tiny little pieces!” – Charlotte Banta (‘23)

Guinness: 

Owners: Ms. Cresence Birder – English/Dance teacher & Mr. AJ Jezierski – Associate Director of College Counseling

Breed: Basset hound mix.

Age: 4 years old.

Background: Rescued in late March of 2020, Guinness was the ultimate “quarantine puppy”, although he might have been a bit too old for that title… 

Favorite Activity on Campus: Showing off! He loves to high-five and shake paws.

Fun Fact: His favorite hobby is running; on a trip to a cross-country meet he tried to sprint along with the runners.

Quote from Owner: “It does a lot of good for my personal mental health to have him around, and I think it’s good for the students to have dogs around as well, as long as they’re comfortable.” – Mr. Jezierski 

Student Thoughts: “Guinness is an extra member of our advisory and it is great. He’s a very cute dog and super well-behaved.” – Max Stone (‘22)

Jorgensen Thor Johnson (Jorgy):

Owner: Coach Charlie Johnson – Physical Education and Health/Strength and Conditioning teacher

Breed: Toy-sized German schnauzer.

Age: 2½ years old.

Background: Jorgy joined the Johnson family as an 8-week old puppy after Coach Johnson googled “male black schnauzer under 10 pounds” and he was the only one to pop up.

Favorite Activity on Campus: Sleeping in Coach Johnson’s office. 

Fun Fact: Jorgy loves to go on walks and play fetch, chase, and tug-of-war. Fitting that his owner works in the athletics department! 

Quote from Owner: “I think that, and I’m probably going to take a lot of heat for this, but he might get the cutest dog on-campus award. If we had a vote, I think he would win.” – Coach Johnson

Kiki:

Owner: Ms. Marianne Kullback – Academic Assistant to Head of Upper School

Breed: Standard poodle.

Age: 11½ years old.

Background: Kiki was given to Ms. Kullback as a birthday gift when she was a four-month-old puppy.

Favorite Activity on Campus: Stealing the Spikeball ball from students on the quad. 

Fun Fact: She loves to tease people by approaching them, but runs away once they move to pet her.

Quote from Owner: “I wanted a standard poodle […] because I was sick of vacuuming.” – Ms. Kullback

Student Thoughts: Ms. Kullback’s 9th grade advisory loves Kiki! Kendall Kearney claims that the poodle “is very well trained. I’ve never heard her bark”. They also think that she is a funny dog; according to Jack Harvey, she once “went in a circle for five minutes straight”!

Buddy:

Owner: Ms. Marsha Setzer – Associate Director of College Counseling

Breed: German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix… overall, a very European dog!

Age: At 1½ years old, Buddy is just a puppy. 

Background: As well as being a “quarantine puppy,” Buddy was Ms. Setzer’s present to her daughter on her fifth birthday.

Favorite Activity on Campus: His favorite part of the day is playing fetch with a tennis ball on the quad. 

Fun Fact: He howls at the ice cream truck. No one knows why… 

Quote from Owner: “When you’re petting him he likes to lean into you, and I’ve heard that that is a dog’s version of a hug. So he just likes to hug people.” – Ms. Setzer

Lucy:

Owner: Ms. Robin Walker – Assistant Head of School

Breed: Part chihuahua, part terrier. 

Age: Turned seven on October 13.

Background: Lucy was fostered by Ms. Remignanti until she was adopted by Ms. Walker, who says she immediately fell in love after she saw Lucy’s picture.

Favorite Activity on Campus: Relaxing! She’ll hang out in Ms. Walker’s office all day on a comfortable chair and a blanket brought from home. 

Fun Fact: She likes to do a little dance when someone tries to put a leash on her. Some of her favorite dance moves are spinning and rolling over.

Quote from Owner: “I would love it if students could interact with her, but remember that she’s very shy, especially around new people.” – Ms. Walker

Student Thoughts: Unfortunately, not many students get to interact with Lucy, so you’ll have to take Ms. Walker’s word for it that “she’s sweet and she’s cute”!