A husky makes its home on Hawk Hill

Rondo Peppermint Donovan is Drexel Arms’ newest resident, and he just so happens to be a certified emotional support wolf pupdog, which is why he was allowed to accompany his owner, Carolan Donovan, ’18,  to college.

“My mom told me I was only allowed to get a French Bulldog because they’re small, but I got a Siberian Husky,” Donovan said. “She wanted a picture of him, so I sent one and she said, ‘that’s not a bulldog,’ and I said, ‘yes, this is Rondo.’”

The name, Rondo, comes from Donovan’s favorite Boston Celtics player, Rajon Rondo. Peppermint was his original name at the Playful Pets where she adopted him, so out of respect to his origin, she made it his middle name.

So, what does one do in an apartment with a dog who can weigh up to 60 pounds?

“Well, he used to be terrible with potty training, but now he’s good. He loves to run around the apartment and jump from couch to couch,” Donovan said. “Sometimes, he’ll switch from staying with me to staying at my boyfriend’s house down the road.”

Donovan’s boyfriend, Andrew D’Agostino, ’18, cares for her puppy when she cannot, since she is originally from California. Rondo also stays with D’Agostino over breaks.

“He’s so cute, though. I love him,” Donovan said. “The best part is that every single time we come home, he’s like, ‘Oh my God!! You came back!’”

A lot of responsibility comes with owning a pet, and a lot of patience is needed. 8-month-old Rondo has recently figured out how to reach the desk, and, so far, he has eaten frozen yogurt, a large Starbucks coffee, and a whole box of tissues.

“Huskies are supposed to be an intelligent breed, but Rondo is not,” D’Agostino said. “He’ll do something wrong, then crawl onto my bed and give me the biggest puppy dog eyes.”

“Yeah, he’s easily forgivable,” Donovan added. “It’s literally like having a baby.”

There’s no denying, though, that everyone loves Rondo. Donovan’s roommates and neighbors adore him. Luckily, he doesn’t howl through the night. He only jumps on the bed to wake Donovan up. He does howl, however, when he hears fellow huskies howling on YouTube.

He hasn’t made any enemies since being at St. Joseph’s University, besides anyone unlucky enough to step in one of the forgotten piles of dog feces on the Drexel Arms’ front lawn.

“There are landmines everywhere,” Donovan said.

Despite the unavoidable puppy behaviors, he was trained well.

“We take him to dog parks and on long walks,” Donovan said.  “He’ll bark at humans and look intimidating, but he only wants to play. He’s really good in the car, but if the window is up then he’ll bark the whole time, and if the window is down, you have to hold him or he’ll jump out.”

Donovan, D’Agostino, and Rondo are friendly and approachable, and invite people to meet them for some puppy love.

Drexel Arms is proud to announce Rondo will stay here throughout the summer and next year as well.