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Remembered
March/April 2005
by Mark Alden Branch '86
There was no mistaking him: the face with the single wrinkle stretching ear to ear above the nose, the barrel chest, the legs as gracefully bowed as those of a Louis XV chair, and -- the piece de resistance -- a definite "Y" in the coloration of the fur on his back. He was Handsome Dan XV, the bulldog who served Yale for eight years before he died on January 21 of a heart attack.
Handsome Dan, of course, was only his title. In his off hours, he was known as Louis -- a name given to him as a tribute to Louis' Lunch, to the late Mory's proprietor Louis Linder, and to former Yale football coach Carmen Louis Cozza. He was bred by Bob Hetherington '55, a North Carolina kennel owner who also supplied Louis's predecessor, Whizzer.
Louis was best known for prowling the sidelines of football games, but he was also seen frequently with his keeper, Chris Getman '64, at other sporting contests and at commencements, receptions, and charity events. Getman notes proudly that Louis appeared on Jeopardy! (as a clue, not a contestant), on 60 Minutes, and on the cover of Dog Owner magazine. "Louis was a sweet dog who liked his job and brought a lot of happiness to so many people," says Getman.
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