Hofstra University’s community resource dog, Mack, visited the Axinn Library lobby on Wednesday, Sept. 10, to interact with students and staff as well as facilitate engagement between students and Public Safety (PS).
The specially trained Australian labradoodle, who joined Hofstra last year as PS’s community resource dog, visits the library once a month, providing the opportunity for students to pet and take photos with him during common hour.
Jovanni Ortiz, Director of Community Engagement for Public Safety, Special Projects and Campus Transportation, said that the goal of bringing Mack to campus last year was to strengthen relationships between PS and students.
“Having Mack also brings students who maybe don’t have issues and need to call Public Safety, but now they’re coming over because of Mack and learning what our department does,” Ortiz said.
Public Safety made Mack the ambassador of its Promoting Assistance, Wellness and Support Program (PAWS) upon his arrival to campus last year. Ortiz explained that the program, along with Mack, is part of PS’s endeavor to connect with students.
Freshman drama major Jadyn Underberg said that seeing Mack around campus brightens her day and that she enjoyed Wednesday’s visit and was excited to get to be there.
“I’m so lucky that I don’t have any more classes for the day,” Underberg said. “I don’t have to rush anywhere.”
Hillary Rothstein, a freshman marketing major, has a dog named Honey back home in Texas. She said that Mack reminds her of Honey and that he can be helpful to students.
“Having a dog here helps with morale, stress [and] things like that,” Rothstein said.
Aside from visits like Wednesday’s, organizations on campus can book Mack for their own events. Public Safety manages a calendar for him to keep his schedule organized.
Ortiz explained that Mack is a friendly dog who does well with such events but not overworking him remains a priority for Public Safety. He added that if Mack seems stressed or is not feeling up to an event, he is given time to rest instead.
“We try to keep him from being overcrowded [or] overwhelmed,” Ortiz said. “Fifteen, 20 people [are] coming up to pet him at the same time. But I will say that the school community, especially the students, have been very careful to not overstep or overwhelm him.”
Yahaira Rivera Gamez used to walk Mack when she worked for Public Safety. Now as a graduate assistant for commuters, she volunteers to bring him to events when needed. Wednesday was the first time this semester that Rivera Gamez has escorted Mack.
She said that she thinks it is good for Mack to have someone he is comfortable with when he attends events.
“It’s bonding time,” Rivera Gamez said. “And it also gives him a sense that it’s someone that he knows, so he can always just come back. And if he gets very overwhelmed or very stressed out, he can just hide behind me and know that I’ll be like, ‘all right, he needs a little break,’ and then go right back to it.
Mack will be back at the library next month and requests from on-campus organizations continue to roll in to feature him at their functions as well.
