His visit was the culmination of second grade teacher Shirley Penna's teaching unit on animals in need, which had students collecting everything from canned food to leashes to old towels and donating them to local shelters as a service project.
Penna figured the visit would be a "nice follow-up." And it didn't hurt that one of Jonathan' handlers, who are all part of the coed community service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, happens to be Penna's daughter.
"He's such a good boy," said UConn senior Jennifer Penna about Jonathan.
Fellow handler and fraternity member Danielle O'Reilly, a sophomore, agreed: "He's a real sweetheart."
Jonathan XXIII, born Dec. 17, 2006, came from a breeder in Easton, Penn. UConn senior Christie Jackman, who headed up the search, said this particular breeder was "the most into her dogs. She didn't have a puppy mill."
The breeder recommended Jonathan because she thought he had the best temperament for the big league job that he would take on.
And he does: he has never bitten anyone, rarely barks, and knows when he puts on his vest that he is working, said his handlers. He's so professional that he even answers his own emails (his address is jonathanthehusky13@yahoo.com).
He's smart, too: Jonathan learned to put up his paw on command in a matter of minutes, said Jennifer Penna.
"We're still working on 'heel,' but that's for another day," she added.
When he's not working the crowds, Jonathan lives with a highly vetted host family, who remain anonymous to protect the hound from kidnapping. At home, Jonathan has an all-natural diet and lives peaceably with a cat. In his spare time, he enjoys chewing plastic water bottles and milk jugs.
Students were taken with the husky. "He's very cute," said second grader Aidan Maloney. "I am a huge fan of Jonathan."
After the handlers asked kids, who were all wearing 'OLM Cougar Pride' t-shirts, if they had any questions, about 60 hands shot up in the air.
When second grader Jonathan Farricielli was called on, he offered a comment rather than a question.
"My name's Jonathan, too," he said.
Later he added, "Good thing my baby brother isn't here, or he'd pinch him."
Hannah Vahl can be reached at 752-2716 or hvahl@ctcentral.com
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