Fetching Fans

IchaDogs show passion for Washburn with social media support

From The Ichabod - Winter 2019

A new breed of Washburn sports fans has emerged on social media in the form of IchaDogs, a group of dedicated pups who enjoy pulling for the blue and white just as much as their owners.

The IchaDogs are best known for sniffing around Washburn’s campus before big sporting events, and those following the scent are having a ball. What started out as an Instagram account featuring Mia and Gunnar, the very first IchaDogs, the social media posts have grown increasingly popular and spread to Twitter.

The dogs’ owners said Mia has a love-hate relationship with one of the Ichabods’ assistant volleyball coaches, and the earliest posts poked fun at their friendship. The 7-year-old chocolate Labrador is still featured regularly on the social media accounts, but she’s happy to share the spotlight with Gunnar, a 2-year-old bloodhound, and any other puppers whose pictures are submitted to the accounts.

Of course, IchaDogs are up to date on their meds, but that doesn’t mean they can’t go viral. The pages, originally followed almost exclusively by Washburn student-athletes, are now gaining traction among professors and fans on and off campus.

Similar to the attributes Bradbury Thompson, ba '34, laid out when he created the Ichabod symbol more than 80 years ago, there are certain qualifications to be a true IchaDog as well. Thompson’s Ichabod represented the characteristics of courage, courtesy and kindness. IchaDogs possess the same qualities, in addition to loyalty, attentiveness and enthusiasm, most notably when it comes to Washburn sports.

IchaDogs know a trick or two, but rolling over isn’t one of them. They cheer on the Ichabods no matter how ruff the situation and do everything in their power to support their human counterparts on campus.

For Halloween, IchaDogs not only continued howling for Washburn’s fall sports teams, they also left buckets of candy for the school’s athletic training students. Although the sweet donations were made anonymously, and several tweets featured pets decked out in costumes, there’s no hiding the passion these pets and their owners have for Washburn.

The IchaDog spirit remained throughout the holidays and will no doubt ramp up again when the Ichabods take the field for spring sports.