Moravian College News goes to the dogs for this special announcement
Bethlehem, Pa., February 11, 2016—The Center for Canine Behavior Studies in Salisbury, Connecticut, recently announced that Mo Grigsby of Moravian College will sit on the Center’s Board of Canine Ambassadors. In a release on the organizations website, the following explained the decision to add Mo to the board.
The Board’s chairman, Handsome Dan XVII (aka Sherman) of Yale University said, “Mo’s acceptance of our invitation to join our growing board is significant. Mo’s companion human is no less than Moravian College’s 16th president Bryon L. Grigsby, who is also a ‘90 alumnus returned to his alma mater. Mo is one of America’s collegiate top dogs who spends a good portion of each day in the president’s office making sure the college is on track and running smoothly.”
In addition to running (things), Mo brings to the board intimate knowledge about fund raising and how it can make a difference in the lives of both humans and canines. Mo shared with Chairman Handsome Dan, “Since I spend a lot of my day in Bryon’s office, I get to hear a lot of conversations. Some of those are with students who are great kids and who love Moravian College (as I do!), but family circumstances have made it financially impossible for them to continue their education here. I know this makes Bryon sad, and so I got to thinking—what can a greyhound like me do to help the student Greyhounds? Then it dawned on me. I’ll ask my friends to help those students who want to come back to Moravian but just can’t afford it. I’ll call the fund “Mo’s Fund!” After all, it was my idea.”
Mo was born to run—in fact, he was a professional racing athlete! Mo was born under the name “Kiowa June Lazy” on March 27, 2011 to sire WW Apple Jax, from whom he inherited his graceful stature and coloring. Apple Jax was a racing superstar and greyhound legend, winning 51 out of his 81 career races. Mo turned pro and raced briefly in Florida (his fastest recorded speed was 30.69 seconds), but when his career ended, he moved to Pennsylvania as a greyhound rescue where he adopted President Bryon Grigsby and became part of the Moravian College family in 2013.
Moravian College is a dog-friendly workplace. And as he does with President Grigsby, Mo keeps the other campus canine associates in line. Mo is the big dog on campus and the College’s beloved greyhound mascot; he uses his sprinting speed to carry on a Moravian College homecoming tradition that dates back to the 1940s: like the College greyhounds of yesteryears, Mo dashes across the stadium turf to the thunderous cheers of the crowd as he leads the Greyhound football team onto the field before the big homecoming game.
Mo is a part of campus life from day one at the start of the year: he leads the new class of Greyhounds during the traditional Moravian Mile Walk and is on hand during orientation to make freshmen feel at home. After all, Mo knows the real meaning of home. “I’m a rescued greyhound, so I know what it’s like to get a second chance. My life was saved when Bryon brought me into his home at Moravian College,” he said. “Home is where the heart is, and that is at Moravian College. I love being on campus with all the students throughout the year and I am one of the world’s luckiest dogs to have the love of not just Bryon, but of all the students.”
As Handsome Dan notes, “The Board of Canine Ambassadors is blessed to have Mo, who illuminates the reality of what it means to be a rescue dog lucky enough to find a companion human to love. In Mo’s case, it’s truly thousands of humans whose lives he touches, which no doubt is part and parcel of what makes Moravian College a great school.”