Meet Mack, Hofstra University’s first ever community resource dog. Mack is a chocolate brown Australian Labradoodle with a boatload of energy and a heart that is excited to embrace Hofstra’s students.
Mack is a puppy, but he’s been growing faster and stronger with each passing day. You’ve most likely heard about his arrival, seen him doing his daily walks around campus with Hofstra staff and Public Safety or even got so lucky as to have Mack stop for you to pet him.
Mack is the head ambassador of Hofstra’s PAWS Program: Promoting Assistance, Wellness & Support. The program is focused on promoting all aspects of Public Safety’s benefits tothe Hofstra community. Public Safety is primarily here to help students in emergencies, but they provide much more than that. Public Safety is here to support students of Hofstra in times of stress and create a welcoming community. Mack allows for Public Safety to have more interactions with students in a positive way, all by simply allowing students to stop and pet Mack whenever he does his daily walks with staff members. Mack is truly bridging the gap between students and staff, all the while uniting Hofstra’s community around his childlike joy.
Plans for Mack to come to campus have been in the works for about two years. The concept for Mack was modeled after similar pet-focused programs at Yale University, Princeton University and Salve Regina University that proved positive for community outreach. Extensive research was conducted on what impact a dog like Mack could have on the Hofstra community, which was then pitched to Hofstra’s leadership team to make it a reality.
Mack has been at Hofstra for only a few months, but his impact has been astounding. He even has his own student identification! Mack recently attended Hofstra’s men’s basketball opening game, cheering on our team.
For students faced with multiple tests or papers and tight dead- lines, Mack has been a way to relieve stress. His presence around campus allows students to stop thinking about their schoolwork for a minute, decompress and play around. For students who come from out-of-state and are severely missing their pets back home, they have found solace in being able to connect with Mack. Mack fills the void for students that have the urge to run back home to reunite with their own loving pets by simply being there for students to pet and make a connection with.
You can see how much the Hofstra community loves Mack since it takes him so long to get from one side of campus to the other. Mack can’t even make it halfway from his “office” on campus to the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center without being stopped 10 to 20 times by excited students.
Mack’s friendly personality is thanks to his mother working as a therapy dog, as well as a 12- week training where Mack was able to become accustomed to the hustle and bustle of Hofstra’s campus and gain the ability to comfort and support busy students. As a young pup, Mack’s favorite activity is to jog and get all his pent up energy out, which is why you’ll see him on campus most of the time.
Students can request Mack to make an appearance at their own events, whether that be a student club, department event or even a one-on-one meeting. All it takes is an email over to Jovanni Ortiz, one of Public Safety’s assistant directors, and you’ll be seeing Mack in no time. His calendar has been always booked with requests from students, proving that he’s become a very popular figure, but also showing the im- pact he has made in such a short time frame at Hofstra. Go ahead and check out Mack’s page on the Hofstra website to get in contact.
You can find Mack walking around campus throughout weekdays, in the Student Center Plaza East during common hour on Mondays and occasionally at Hofstra’s major sporting or community events. Whenever you see the fluffy, brown bundle of joy, make sure to stop and say hello!
