Dubs the puppy new Huskies mascot
Published 9:40 pm Tuesday, February 10, 2009
SEATTLE — The Washington Huskies have a new mascot that, like the downtrodden UW football team he will most symbolize, has plenty of room to grow.
The UW introduced 3-month-old “Dubs” on Tuesday to replace “Spirit,” who had a season almost as bad as the 0-12 Huskies in 2008.
Spirit, officially Whitepaw’s Arlut Spirit of Gold Dust, had been the school’s mascot since 1999 until he was forced into retirement last September when he injured his shoulder chasing a squirrel.
He is now back with his owners living an accomplished dog’s life, leaving “Dubs” as the new face — and paws — of Washington sports.
The puppy is a budding star who already has his own Web site, though he offered reminders Tuesday he is still young. He spent a few minutes walking on the perimeter of Hec Edmundson Pavilion — until the bouncing basketballs from the men’s team practice apparently spooked him. He then walked a long tunnel that connects the arena and locker room to Husky Stadium, the same tunnel from which he will lead the Huskies football team before each game, beginning on Sept. 5 against LSU.
He will spend his games roaming the sidelines, and may make his debut at Washington’s spring game in April. Current UW students with experience in dog handling will be selected as the mascot’s handlers.
On Tuesday, he ambled around in a cold rain, trotting on the stadium’s fake grass field and tugging at a chew toy with a football on its end as his two handlers stood by. At one point, the puppy made himself at home in the west zone by, um, marking his territory the way puppies tend to do.
Like his predecessors, “Dubs” isn’t actually a husky. He’s an Alaskan malamute, the 11th malamute mascot.
Stacey Slade, the UW’s assistant director of ticket sales who was helping to show “Dubs,” said malamutes are bigger than huskies, especially across the shoulders.
New coach Steve Sarkisian’s football team could use some of that additional size. Along with the new mascot, Sarkisian is tweaking the Huskies’ uniform for next season.
“Dubs” is from a kennel in Burlington, Wash., and now lives in Seattle with Jennifer McBride and Kelly Campbell. He got his name from an online vote on the school’s athletic Web site. Fans sent in more than 1,400 nominations before a committee of campus and community representatives narrowed the field to finalists that included Admiral, Dubs, King, Koda, Legend, Reign, Spirit and Sundodger. The UW got more than 20,000 votes in two rounds of online voting.
Washington also announced the formation of a “Dollars For Dubs” fund to assist in the care, training and handling of Dubs. Supporters of the mascot program may contribute to the fund, which is administered through the UW Foundation.
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On the Net: http://gohuskies.cstv.com/genrel/dubs-home.html
