Hey, Mr. President, the Dogs Are Out!

Thirty minutes before Sean Burrage was supposed to address the faculty and staff for the first time as president of Southeastern Oklahoma State University, he got a call from his wife alerting him that their two dogs were running amok on the campus.

“According to my wife,” he says, “they were out because I left the gate open.”

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The escape wasn’t anything new; the two white dogs, Daisy and Sweetpea, would scoot out from under the fence often. But that day was different; Mr. Burrage, who began serving as president of Southeastern on July 1, was hoping to practice his speech. He quickly realized that plan was out the window.

Armed with Milk-Bones, he headed out to lure the two dogs back to the yard.

“For the most part they come to me, but every now and then, when they are having a real good time, it’s harder,” says Mr. Burrage, who lives on campus with his wife, Carole, and their two sons.

It’s not unusual for students to call the president’s office and say they see Daisy and Sweetpea on the loose, though the reports are seldom accurate.

Mr. Burrage, who served as a state senator for two terms, is hardly a stranger to talking with people, but his pets make conversations with students easier.

“When I’m walking the dogs, students feel more comfortable coming up and talking,” he says. “I want them to know I am someone they can approach and speak to about anything.”