Rider Pets: Copper the beagle brings paws-itive energy to university campus

By Teagen Rotella

When people picture a puppy, they usually imagine a small, energetic version of a dog. So, when Isabelle Quaid, a freshman business administration major, first met her dog, Copper, as a puppy, she was surprised by his calm and shy personality.

Despite the initial impression of a shy dog, within a few days, Copper, now a 30-pound, 3-year-old beagle, grew into the kind of playful, outgoing dog most people expect.

Before leaving for college, Quaid was worried about how an extreme change, such as going to college nearly 2,000 miles away, would impact her anxiety. Despite her concerns, she chose to face the transition on her own.

However, after a rocky first semester, Quaid reconsidered and decided that bringing an emotional support dog to campus would be the best choice for her.

Quaid convinced her parents to let her get a dog, and they found a breeder called Victory Hill Ranch located in Dime Box, Texas, that raised beagles and golden retrievers.

To make sure that they were getting a dog from somewhere that took care of their animals, Quaid and her parents did a lot of research on the   breeder beforehand.

“They have three kids and live on a farm, so it’s a great environment,” Quaid said. “I’m glad [Copper] had a good start when he was young.”

Kaiya Brown, a sophomore arts and entertainment industries management major, became close friends with Quaid after meeting through Rider Dance Ensemble, Rider’s collaborative dance performance group.

Once Quaid was approved by Student Accessibility and Support Services to have Copper on campus, Brown wanted to meet him as soon as possible.

Now, Brown describes Copper as a loving and caring dog.

“Our favorite hobby together is snuggling up and watching any Disney movie,” Brown said. 

Similar to Brown and Copper, one of Quaid and her aunt’s favorite things to do together was watch Disney movies, specifically “The Fox and The  Hound.” Unfortunately, Quaid’s aunt passed away when she was younger.

In order to honor her aunt’s memory, Quaid named Copper after the hound featured in their favorite Disney movie.

Since Quaid brought Copper to campus, she has noticed a significant and positive change within herself, reinforcing that she made the right decision.

“I struggled a lot my first semester, and since I brought [Copper] up, it’s gotten me back into a routine,” Quaid said. 

This article is part of the Rider Pets series by The Rider News to feature pets across the Rider community.