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Dayton Diary: The furry friend you wouldn’t expect

Dayton Diary: The furry friend you wouldn’t expect

Tori Miller '23 June 16, 2024
The University of Dayton campus is full of characters, but none are as beloved — or as furry — as the scurry of squirrels. 

UD students have an unexplainable love for the on-campus squirrels. I have frequently heard students talk about how chunky, goofy and adorable the Dayton squirrels are.

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While 4 Paws service dogs may be the most-loved animals on campus, the squirrels are a close second. My English class one day had a long conversation about domesticating animals, which spiraled into an in-depth discussion about how to make a UD squirrel your pet.

People were excited to have any squirrel-based conversation; a lot of normally quiet students spoke up. Topics included buying harnesses and leashes to walk pet squirrels, what names these companions would be given and what kind of diet they would be on.

Before coming to UD, I didn’t know people could love squirrels so much. I figured squirrels were so common that people would deem it “basic” if you had the rodent as a pet. But UD’s squirrels are loved; indeed, three Instagram accounts share UD squirrel pictures

 

Illustration by Ronald Acklin 

“Dayton Diary” is a series of short, personal UD stories: quirky encounters, lighthearted moments or heartwarming snippets. Why not write one yourself and send it (up to 300 words) to magazine@udayton.edu. Put “Dayton Diary” in the subject line.

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