What has four legs, a tail and is always excited to see you? A dog of course! Just as there are students at UNH, there are dogs too. Recently, sophomore zoology major Ariana Casasanta decided to start a club for student dog owners.   

“Anyone can join really; we do not exclude anyone,” Casasanta said.  According to Casasanta, the UNH Pup Club is open to all students, whether they have a dog, want to play with dogs or just want to take pictures of people interacting with the animals.

Due to liability reasons, the university has not officially recognized the Pup Club. The chance that someone could get bitten by a dog, or that a dog could get injured on campus, are just a couple of the risk factors involved that make the club unlikely to gain official recognition.

The club meets weekdays, 12-4 p.m. outside DeMerrit Hall. The meetings are very informal, as people can come and go as they please depending on what fits into their schedules. At these meetings, owners come to unleash their pets, allowing them to run and play with the other dogs.

“We’re in the process of scheduling some events like walks in college woods,” Casasanta said.

As of now, there are about 50 followers on their Facebook page, and about 15 dogs that have come to the meetings. Though there is a closed group on Facebook for the dog owners, the Pup Club has also created a Facebook page for anyone interested in the club.

Casasanta also said that the Pup Club is currently looking into doing something with the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, and that event details and future club meetings or events can be found on the club’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SoUNHPC/.