Le Moyne College senior Riley Stuver, a dual Management and Leadership and Information Systems major, found a dog in The Heights, a Le Moyne-owned student housing complex, last Monday when she went to pick up a friend.
“He just jumped into my car,” said Stuver after the dog ran up to her.
The decision kicked off a week-long search – under growing pressure to remove the dog from Stuver’s campus-owned residence, which doesn’t allow pets – to find the dog a home.
They learned the dog’s owner had abandoned the animal. They affectionately named it Tito. Finally, with the help of some neighbors and campus volunteer Joyce Suslovic, they were able to find Tito a new home in Jordan.
“This is the absolute best outcome,” said Shelley Kummer Stevens, co-president of the nearby Salt Springs Neighbors, a neighborhood association. Shelters are so crowded, Stevens said, that three months ago neighbors couldn’t find room in any of them for three dogs abandoned in their neighborhood.
The situation was made even worse by the entire board of the CNY SPCA resigning at the same time the students were trying to find a home for Tito.
Stuver said Melissa Moore, assistant dean of Title IX and compliance at Le Moyne, was a huge support in multiple ways as the students searched for Tito’s perfect home.
“She was a big part of helping us,” said Stuver, who immediately made a post about the dog for various Facebook pages, such as Salt Springs Neighbors and CNY Lost Pets. Though she and her housemates had no luck, they went out to buy supplies, and on Tuesday morning, they received a message.
A woman reached out to inform them that it was her dad’s dog, but after some back- and-forth, it was revealed that the woman’s father no longer wanted the dog, stating he couldn’t take the dog’s energy anymore. So a community came together, not just of Le Moyne students but also their Salt Springs neighbors.
Tito became a campus celebrity during his week-long stay. Suslovic, a well-known volunteer in the Le Moyne community, was an important asset in helping Tito. Not only has she helped with supplies and paid to get the dog vaccinated, but she also advocated for Stuver and her housemates as they helped Tito find a home.
Suslovic remained in touch with Jack Brower, property manager of Phins Housing, who said Tito could not permanently remain on campus, but did provide some leeway that allowed enough time to find him a home.
Because of concerns about student safety, Brower said allowing the dog to briefly stay in Le Moyne housing was a one-time situation that will not happen again.
“If you see a stray dog, call animal control, post it on Facebook groups … Use systems in place in the City of Syracuse and Town of Dewitt to rehome the dog,” he said during a visit to a Le Moyne journalism class. “Don’t take it upon yourself to do that work.”
Knowing Tito could not stay with them for long, the students hurried to find him a safe place to live.
Stuver was adamant about not placing Tito in a shelter, even if one was somehow available. “He’s way too friendly with people, way too friendly with other dogs, to be put in a shelter where he might not find a forever home,” she said.
Luckily, Stevens and the Salt Springs community, working together, found Tito a new loving family in Jordan, through a connection first made by Moore. Friday, when they dropped Tito off, Stuver – who admits the goodbye brought tears to her eyes – said he didn’t look back. He immediately started playing with his new family, which included a little girl and another dog.
“This was a win, win, win,” Suslovic said.
Contributing writers from a 374-01 journalism class included Hope Adigun, Scott Borden, Riley Brennen, Maya Carpenter, Mairead Conway, Dajhana Cueva Gomez, Abby Files, Anne Hiney, Hannah Jimenez, Nicholas Lauro, Mia Lesley-Fox, Sophia Morphet, Munenyasha Sigauke, Lanie Smith, Emily Symans, and Alia Tennon.
