Did you know studies show that dog owners enjoy health benefits like lower stress and longer lifespans? In honor of Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, we’re celebrating the pups who bring joy and unconditional love to the Goizueta Business School community. Meet the “Doggies of Goizueta!”
Maui Hill
- – Breed: Bull Terrier
- – Nicknames: STANK, STANK BOOTY, Spuds McKenzie, Cicco, The Target dog, General Patton’s dog
- – Owner: Lanero Hill, Assistant Director, Media Service
What’s your dog’s funniest or quirkiest habit?
The Bull Terrier Zoomies AKA “Tornadoes” (spinning in circles).
Where’s your pup’s favorite place to go in Atlanta?
The Beltline where he is a glutton for attention.
Any fun facts?
He has his own IG page: @Maui_the_bull_terrier
Gator
- – Breed: Mutt (likely Shih Tzu and Havanese mix)
- – Owner: Jesse Bockstedt, Professor of Information Systems & Operations Management and Senior Associate Dean of Graduate Programs
What’s your dog’s funniest or quirkiest habit?
Gator has three legs; he lost his hind right leg in a car accident before we adopted him from the Humane Society. But this doesn’t stop him. When he was younger (he’s 17 now), he would do a “power yoga” pose and prop himself up on just his front legs so he could pee on both sides on walks!
If your dog were a Goizueta student, what class would they ace?
Gator is not the smartest pup in the pack, so he might not get into Goizueta. But he’s one of the sweetest and most caring dogs you’ll meet. Gator loves everyone and is patient with any human who wants to pet him or dog that wants to smell him. So, I think he’d ace our classes on social enterprise, because he’d want to do the right thing and make others’ lives better, except for squirrels – he hates squirrels…
Where’s your pup’s favorite place to go in Atlanta?
Gator loves to go to Paper Source and Highland Pet Supply in Virginia Highlands, because they are on our daily walk and give out great treats!
How did your dog join your family?
Gator was surrendered to the Humane Society in Washington, DC, by his former owner after he was hit by a car and they couldn’t deal with the treatment. The Humane Society had to amputate his leg as a result of the accident. My wife, Katie, who is a veterinarian and had been volunteering with the Humane Society, adopted him (about 16 years ago, just before she and I met). She has given him the best life possible. I joke that he hit the dog lottery – to this day, he eats the best healthy food, gets the best care and love, and is much higher on the family hierarchy than I am!
Any fun facts?
Gator has a snaggle tooth. He got his name because when playing, we would grab on to a chew toy and roll (like an alligator “death roll” when they’re taking down prey), but he’s a total sweetheart. Gator was the dog of the month at Bequest Estate Planning this summer (another VaHi shop that gives out treats 😉 ), and is on the “Dog Wall” at Paper Source, so he’s a bit of a local (Virginia Highlands) celebrity. Until recently (turning 17), Gator would regularly walk multiple miles every day on his three legs.
Ragnar, Kaia, Lulu, Jojo & Pippa
- – Breed: All mixed-breed dogs
- – Owner: Rob Bobowski, Associate Director for Undergraduate Advising
What are your dogs’ funniest or quirkiest habits?
Ragnar has a tendency to melt when touched. When someone starts to pet him or if we try to move him, he goes completely limp.
If your dogs were Goizueta students, what class would they ace?
Kaia would crush Business Communications Strategy. She is constantly communicating (barking) with us to let us know about current events.
Where are your pups’ favorite places to go in Atlanta?
Lulu loves to go to my children’s elementary school. During the morning walker drop-off, she is a favorite of many.
How did your dogs join your family?
Jojo and Lulu were “foster fails.” Ragnar and Kaia we have had since they were eight weeks old. Pippa just came to us from my in-laws as they moved into a retirement community.
Lelue & Luna
- – Breed: Boxer mix and pit-bull mix
- – Nicknames: Leluekovich and Luna Toona
- – Owner: Adam Platto, Academic Technology Specialist, Global Classrooms
What are your dogs’ funniest or quirkiest habits?
These two are as bonded as any two dogs I have ever seen. They spend every waking minute together. Probably the funniest thing they do is get under blankets and pillows. They love being covered up.
If your dogs were Goizueta students, what class would they ace?
Charlie Goetz’s entrepreneurship class: These two are definitely self-starters.
Where are your pups’ favorite places to go in Atlanta?
They are home bodies, so their favorite place in Atlanta is… our couch.
How did your dogs join your family?
Both Lelue and Luna were rescues. Lelue was found in a box on the side of the road, and Luna was a ‘foster-fail’ that we picked up from Angel’s Among Us pet rescue while we were helping them.
Any fun facts?
These two love blankets, cuddles, and sleeping with us in the middle of the bed. They have spots in the bed too: Lelue lays on a pillow with us, and Luna gets under the covers about halfway down. Every night.
Dre
- – Breed: Wonder Mutt
- – Nicknames: Dre Dre, Drake, Mr. Drakers
- – Owner: Brian Cayce, Managing Director, Center for Entrepreneurship
What’s your dog’s funniest or quirkiest habit?
His upper lip always gets stuck on his underbite.
If your dog were a Goizueta student, what class would they ace?
Applied Entrepreneurship.
Where’s your pup’s favorite place to go in Atlanta?
Anywhere that requires a car ride.
How did your dog join your family?
He was adopted from the Atlanta Humane Society as a five-month-old.
Any fun facts?
Dre has a mean underbite and was featured as the pet of the week in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution before becoming a Cayce.
Jessie Belle
- – Breed: Mixed (mostly Jack Russell mixed with Pitbull, Chow, Lab, Great Pyrenees and Rottweiler)
- – Nickname: JB
- – Owner: Jennifer Eames, Director of Custom Programs, Executive Education
What’s your dog’s funniest or quirkiest habit?
She loves to ride in the car and tries to get in strangers’ cars.
If your dog were a Goizueta student, what class would they ace?
Process & Systems Management.
Where’s your pup’s favorite place to go in Atlanta?
Historic Fourth Ward Park.
How did your dog join your family?
I adopted her from Angels Among Us Rescue in January 2012 when she was seven months old.
Any other fun facts?
She dresses up every Halloween.
Kobe
- – Breed: Goldendoodle
- – Owner: Kenna Temesgen 26MBA, First Year Full-Time MBA Student
What’s your dog’s funniest or quirkiest habit?
Kobe loves going in between people’s legs (like a cat, but he just stands there with you indefinitely until you move).
If your dog were a Goizueta student, what class would they ace?
For sure Negotiations. He somehow always gets what he wants.
Where’s your pup’s favorite place to go in Atlanta?
The dog park in our apartment complex (we’re new and haven’t explored dog friendly places in Atlanta, but Skiptown is top on our list).
How did your dog join your family?
Got him from a hypoallergenic breeder in 2021.
Any other fun facts?
Kobe has the same birthday as my dad.
Ladybug
- – Breed: Mixed (primarily Plott Hound, mostly a Brindle Snuggler)
- – Nicknames: Bug, Pupinder, Pupinder Lamb Angel Dog
- – Owner: Nicholas Valerio, Professor in the Practice of Finance
What’s your dog’s funniest or quirkiest habit?
Expressing her wishes (or displeasure) using very articulate groaning.
If your dog were a Goizueta student, what class would they ace?
Easily Corporate Finance! She previously attended a full semester of the finance lectures in the Part-Time MBA Program, and more recently has been an active member of multiple summer semesters of the Evening MBA finance course. She had developed quite a following (fan base??) among the students!
Where’s your pup’s favorite place to go in Atlanta?
Into the backyard where she can chase her favorite outdoor toy and run with her big brother Skipper (also a rescue dog like his sister!).
How did your dog join your family?
She is a rescue dog and touched our hearts as a puppy 11 years ago.
Any other fun facts?
She follows commands in English and in French!
Juneau
- – Breed: Samoyed
- – Nickname: Joudini
- – Owner: Anna Gibbons, Program Director, Master in Management
What’s your dog’s funniest or quirkiest habit?
His favorite game is to steal a sock or something he shouldn’t have, hide it in his mouth behind a toy and wait for you to discover it. He will lay with a stolen item for hours waiting to be discovered, never destroying the item.
If your dog were a Goizueta student, what class would they ace?
Easily Negotiations, he manages to get his way; while making us think it was our idea, every time!
Where’s your pup’s favorite place to go in Atlanta?
Fetch Dog Park in Alpharetta.
How did your dog join your family?
My husband grew up with the breed so it was a pre-determined fact that we would one day have a Samoyed. His parents were ready to invite a new dog into their family at the same time, so we have littermates, Juneau and Nuka. We journeyed to Northern Ohio to pick him up, we got Juneau the most “juvenile, playful” pup in the bunch and my in-laws got the more subdued Nuka—probably for the best!
Any other fun facts?
Despite his 70+ lbs, he will squeeze himself into the smallest place possible to sleep.
As expected from a Siberian breed, the minute the temperature drops below 60, he wants to be outside laying on the cold patio at night, and we have to entice him to come in with a high value treat.
Calliope
- – Breed: Australian Shepherd
- – Nicknames: Cali, baby girl, “Ausshole”
- – Owner: Andrea Hershatter, Senior Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education, Professor in the Practice of Organization & Management
What’s your dog’s funniest or quirkiest habit?
She stands outside one of our back glass doors and barks until we open it. Then she jumps as high as she can, spins in a circle and without coming in, waits for us to close it. She will do this an unlimited number of times in a row.
If your dog were a Goizueta student, what class would they ace?
OAM 432 Negotiations. She is masterful at creating mutually beneficial strategies as long as she ultimately gets what she wants.
Where’s your pup’s favorite place to go in Atlanta?
Whitewater Creek Trail along the Chattahoochee.
Any other fun facts?
There are nine streets named after Muses in New Orleans, where we once lived, and of those, we picked Calliope, the muse of music and poetry. Her name also honors a lyric in Blinded by the Light by Bruce Springsteen: “With this very unpleasing sneezing and wheezing the calliope crashed to the ground.”
Lucy
- – Breed: Chiweiner (½ chihuahua, ½ wiener dog)
- – Owner: Tucker Balch, Professor in the Practice and Research of Finance
What’s your dog’s funniest or quirkiest habit?
When she’s excited she dances in circles.
If your dog were a Goizueta student, what class would they ace?
Business Communication Strategy. She’s very good at communication.
Where’s your pup’s favorite place to go in Atlanta?
In our car… anywhere.
How did your dog join your family?
We got her at an adoption shelter.
Any other fun facts?
She is 14 years old.
Nutmeg
- – Breed: Boxer mix
- – Owner: Libby Egnor, Undergraduate BBA Associate Dean
What’s your dog’s funniest or quirkiest habit?
She flops down suddenly as though her bones were removed from her body. She also loves to scratch her back by doing a cockroach wiggle across the carpet. She also loves to chase things in our yard at night, and zooms out into the bushes the minute you open the door.
If your dog were a Goizueta student, what class would they ace?
Marketing – she campaigns for food like it’s her job.
Where’s your pup’s favorite place to go in Atlanta?
The trolly line trail in Decatur – she can tell that the coyotes hang out there and she tracks them on our walks.
How did your dog join your family?
We did ‘Dog for a day’ through Lifeline shelter in November 2023. That’s where you can take a dog home for a day or weekend and give them a little respite from the shelter. It quickly became Dog for a Week, followed by Dog Forever 😊
Any other fun facts?
Nutmeg had been at Lifeline since July 2022, so she spent over a year in the shelter before we got her. She has never had an accident in our house or chewed anything she wasn’t supposed to. She is our fourth rescue – I can’t recommend pet adoption enough!
Betty & Addie
- – Breed: Betty – Cattle dog/Pit Bull mix; Addie – Boxer/Pit Bull mix
- – Nicknames: Betty Boops; Ads
- – Owner: Madeline Schmees, Associate Director, Employer Relations, Undergraduate BBA Career Management Center
What’s your dog’s funniest or quirkiest habit?
Betty LOVES her plushy soccer ball and will fall asleep holding on to it. She brings it with her all around the house! Addie will lay on her back and hold her toys in the air between her front paws and just look at them. It’s adorable.
If your dog were a Goizueta student, what class would they ace?
Betty – BUS 383, Team Leadership & Dynamics. She’d love Teambuilding with Taste.
Addie – OAM 432, Negotiations. She knows how to get her desired outcome when it comes to an extra treat or longer walk.
Where’s your pup’s favorite place to go in Atlanta?
The Beltline!
How did your dog join your family?
Betty was rescued as a puppy by Bosley’s Place in Smyrna, GA. Addie was fostered through Fulton County Animal Shelter, operated now by Lifeline Animal Project.
Mochi
- – Breed: Beagle
- – Owner: Libby Grant, Goizueta IT – Service Desk Analyst
What’s your dog’s funniest or quirkiest habit?
He learned a “tapping” trick all by himself. If he wants us to pet him, he taps us with his paw. If he wants food or water, he taps the bowls. If he’s ready to go to bed but his crate is locked, he taps the door (or us). No idea where it came from – he just started doing it out of nowhere a few years ago and has trained us to respond to it!
If your dog were a Goizueta student, what class would they ace?
Any marketing class – he knows all the right buttons to push to get what he wants without even trying.
Where’s your pup’s favorite place to go in Atlanta?
His bed – once 9 PM hits, he will carry himself to bed. If we don’t quickly follow behind him, he will come back out and stare at us until we get the message. He even spends extra time making sure his blankets and pillows are all fluffed before settling in.
How did your dog join your family?
An old boyfriend and I got Mochi as a puppy when I was in college. I said from the beginning that if we ever broke up, I was keeping him, and the agreement stuck after we split. Once I graduated and my now-husband and I were talking about moving in together, he was ecstatic about having a dog in the house again. Their relationship has become one to behold (and one that I’m jealous of, since my husband is now the favorite pet parent).
We think this calls for a “bring your dog to work day,” don’t you? As we celebrate Goizueta’s four-legged friends, remember there are thousands of dogs waiting for homes. If you’re considering adding a pup to your family, October’s Adopt a Shelter Dog Month is the perfect time. Your next best friend might be waiting at a local shelter or rescue!
Interested in adopting or learning how to become a foster? Please visit your local animal shelter, Lifeline Animal Project, or the Atlanta Humane Society for more information.
