Cue the “Cuddle Puddle:” New Student-led Volunteer Club Aids Animals—and Students
By Rebecca GoldfineThe three little puppies were vastly outnumbered by dog-crazy students at the recent mixer. But the puppies took all the petting and cooing in stride, and returned the favor with a few face licks and toy tosses.
The recent event, called “Dog Bar Quinby” in honor of the beloved Union Street coffee shop Dog Bar Jim, was a joint effort by sophomore Cameron Shelly's new volunteer group Bowdoin Animal Aides, Quinby House, and Midcoast Humane.
Coffee and bagels were served. So were three little black lab mixes. Students whipped out their phones to capture the onslaught of wriggly softness.
“I think, or at least I hope, students left the event feeling loved up and calmer,” said Mylia Vigue ’27, who coordinated the dog-coffee-bagel morning at Quinby House in her role as the house's first-year engagement committee leader.
“It’s rare that Bowdoin students spend their Saturday mornings slowly and outside of [Hawthorne-Longfellow Library], and I hope the event just offered a space to slow down and cuddle puddle together,” she added.
Following the two-hour snuggle fest, the puppies were “taken for a spin around campus,” to stretch their legs and get some fresh air, said Shelly. (They've all been adopted since the event—sorry to break any hearts!)
Shelly founded Bowdoin Animal Aides this year, incorporating it as a new service club within the McKeen Center's Bowdoin Volunteer Corps.
The Volunteer Corps is made up of twenty-seven student-led service groups that vary widely in the goals and community issues that they address, said Sam Cogswell, McKeen Center associate director.
“This year, we had a record number of new group proposals and Animal Aides was one of them,” she continued. “We’re excited that this formalizes our long-standing partnership with Midcoast Humane into a committed student group that works to meet the organization’s needs.”
Shelly collaborated with Kyle Warner, Midcoast Humane's community engagement manager, to work out the details. “A lot of students are vying to have connections to animals—and Midcoast Humane, while they have a lot of volunteers, needs a lot more,” she said.
Warner praised Shelly for being “a singular individual making a big impact,” and said, like Shelly, that he anticipates the benefits will flow both ways. “This is certainly a symbiotic relationship in that we wholeheartedly believe that giving to an animal shelter is just as enriching to the animals it is to those providing the service,” he said.
The shelter's socialization program “Dog-a-Day” might especially appeal to students, Shelly said. (Warner said student-athletes in particular might be a good fit for “our agility-driven canines.”) After going through an application process and being trained, volunteers can take a pet out for a day of walks, belly rubs, and, inevitably, a few naps.
Shelly first got involved with Midcoast Humane last fall, when her volleyball teammate Mina Mittler ’26 invited her to volunteer. Mittler runs the Bowdoin Veterinary Club, which partners with Midcoast Humane to assist with procedures like spaying, neutering, and vaccines.
Growing up in Austin, Texas, Shelly has always had animals around—including bearded dragons, guinea pigs, and a white grub named Gerald. (When Gerald turned into a beetle, she let him go.)
“It was tough transitioning to Bowdoin and not having animals around,” she said, “although it helps that a lot of families walk around campus with their dogs. But I wanted to do more, with more purpose.”
Photos by Andrew Estey
