Soon there will be a new top dog on campus. After six years as the university’s mascot, Jack the Bulldog will be moving on, Georgetown announced Thursday. University spokesperson Rachel Pugh said that the current mascot will continue in his role for the time being as a new dog learns the tricks of the trade.
The new dog has only just graduated from puppy school. Until recently, he was in the care of California-based breeders and Georgetown parents Marcus and Janice Hochstetler. The pair donated a bulldog who was destined not to become the university’s official mascot in 2012 and the outgoing mascot in 2013. Now, they are reprising their roles as Hoya mascot caretakers and trainers.
The dog, also named Jack and also a bulldog, was bred in Alberta, Canada, by IROC Bulldogs and Casa Grande Bulldogs. Kandie Kroonen of IROC Bulldogs said that Jack was one of the last dogs to leave her care from his litter. “Jack was the most affectionate—the smartest puppy,” she said.
The incoming mascot taking in his new home. Photo courtesy Georgetown University
But he still has a lot to learn.
At first, he will only play a role at smaller events. Previous mascots have boasted a signature move, of sorts, frequently deployed at Georgetown basketball games. But because the new mascot is only a freshman, he has not yet decided on a major skill. The outgoing Jack chose on-court skateboard riding for his.
Dogs with such prodigious abilities—or with such skilled parents—do not come cheap. Kroonen, Jack’s breeder, said that the university paid $2,500 plus shipping for the new dog, a discount off her usual $3,000 price. Pugh declined to specify how much the university spent, but she said the money came from alumni who had earmarked their donations for the care of the mascot.
At Georgetown, Jack will stay in the same quarters as the current mascot, Pugh wrote. The Voice only wonders: which freshman dorm is that, and what happens if his roommate is allergic?
This article has been corrected to better reflect the Hochstetlers’ prior involvement with Georgetown mascots and that the new mascot has already arrived on campus.
