Brooklyn Nunes has called California Lutheran University home for less than an entire academic year and yet, has made quite the impression around campus, according to Cal Lutheran Interim University President John Nunes and his wife, Monique “Ms. Mo” Nunes.
As Brooklyn prepares to celebrate her first birthday, John Nunes and his wife, Monique Nunes said this four-legged friend of theirs has had quite an impact on their lives.
“She is a very energetic little thing, like, she is tiny but mighty, that’s a way to describe her,” sophomore Grace Brodoski, who met Brooklyn in January while dog sitting her, said. “I’ve loved every interaction that I’ve had with her. She’s a great dog. For how young she is, she really is so well-behaved and well-trained.”
Born on March 5, 2024, Brooklyn came into Monique and John Nunes’ lives only a few days later. According to Monique Nunes, Brooklyn was delivered by a service called Puppy Express on May 18, 2024.
“So, it was really neat. It was without a glitch,” Monique Nunes said. “I’m sure Puppy Express has some glitches, but I did not have one.”
John Nunes said he was not aware of all the details of how Brooklyn ended up living with them; however, he finds those details to be irrelevant because, to him, what matters is the extent to which Brooklyn “animates” his wife, Monique.
According to Monique Nunes, Brooklyn came to live with the Nunes family because of Cal Lutheran.
“So, President Nunes stated that if he got the appointment at California Lutheran, that I can get the puppy because he’s going to be busy, not knowing that I would be just as busy, but I was like, ‘deal,’” Monique Nunes said.
Brooklyn was named by Monique Nunes, according to John Nunes. Monique Nunes said that she came up with the name because she wanted to give her dog a name that reminded her of New York, a place where they previously lived, so the name came to mind without hesitation.
Although John Nunes did not participate in the naming process, he said that because of his affection for Monique Nunes, he consented to the name.
“I even call Brooklyn by this name from time to time,” John Nunes said. “She’s a shih tzu, so sometimes I call her a little shih tzu.”
Brodoski said that Brooklyn is a positive light on campus. Brodoski also said that students tend to recognize Brooklyn, and they always love to pet her. Brodoski said that nowadays, whenever she sees Brooklyn around, she will always go up and say, “hi”.
According to Brodoski, Brooklyn helps strengthen that bond between the president and students because it makes the president seem more approachable to students.
“She’s such a little sweetheart, she loves– she’s very clingy– she loves to be right up next to you and always around you, but sometimes that’s nice as a college student to, like, have an animal, like, support you, so it was fun,” Brodoski said.
Brodoski said that her boss was asked by Monique Nunes to take care of Brooklyn when she and her husband went away on a trip, but as Brodoski’s boss was busy, she stepped in and took care of Brooklyn.
“I took her with me to a Foodie Friday, it was the In-N-Out truck, Foodie Friday, but I brought her with me, waited in line, and so many students recognized her and came up and, like, wanted to talk and were like, ‘Oh my gosh, is this Brooklyn?’” Brodoski said.
Brodoski said that Brooklyn is like a celebrity on campus and loves getting to interact with everybody.
“Brooklyn loves CLU. I mean, everywhere I go, people love Brooklyn, Brooklyn loves the people. She treats them very, very nicely,” John Nunes said. “She will jump up into their laps. People she doesn’t even know and she just, she lets them hug her. She licks them. They let her, you know, I don’t want to tell you where I’ve seen her tongue.”
John Nunes said that he thinks that Brooklyn’s favorite place on campus seems to be anywhere around students.
“We went once to a soccer game and we walked into the stadium and the whole row of students said ‘Oh, it’s Brooklyn.’ And then they passed her, one to the next, to the next, … each of them hugging her and treating her nicely,” John Nunes said.
Monique Nunes said that Samuelson Chapel also seems to be one of Brooklyn’s favorite places on campus, as she seemed to be very relaxed there when they go on walks, usually with Brooklyn sitting in her pink stroller.
While Brooklyn enjoys being social, that warmth, according to John Nunes, does not extend to him.
“I don’t know what I did to her for her to treat me in such a derogatory, which rhymes with dogs, so, derogatory way,” John Nunes said. “I’m not sure what I’ve done, but, you know, I endure this because I’m called to be the best husband I can be and this at least demonstrates my loyalty and my integrity and my fidelity to my wife. Otherwise, and I don’t care if this is on the record, I would not endure this.”
John Nunes said his relationship with Brooklyn is rather indirect. John Nunes said his primary concern regarding Brooklyn is how happy she seems to make his wife, giving him a primary reason for extending love and attention to Brooklyn.
“Brooklyn is much, much more than a pet. Brooklyn is a source of joy,” John Nunes said. “And costs, because we have to buy Brooklyn things.”
John Nunes said that Brooklyn has many toys, so many that he would not be able to tell which one is her favorite. According to John Nunes, these toys appear to be strewn everywhere. John Nunes even said that he has stepped on them on different occasions.
“Sometimes I pick up the toy and I throw the toy out of anger, and then Brooklyn chases the toys as if I’m playing with her. I’m not playing with this little shih tzu. I’m merely attempting to clear a path so that normal civilized human beings can walk through their own house,” John Nunes said. “But remember, it’s not my house, it’s Brooklyn’s house. I’m lucky that these two females let me stay there. I think I’m lucky. And so, I should consider myself blessed.”
Regarding Brooklyn’s favorite treats, John Nunes said he has attempted to ask Brooklyn this question in the past but was unable to translate her response.
“I attempted once to ask her this question,… but Brooklyn, you see, looked at me, and I asked her maybe four or five times, ‘Which is the favorite, Brooklyn, which?’ I mean, I asked her very plain, very direct, very clear, but it was as if she was avoiding my question,” John Nunes said. “I know she has a favorite, I– she does not want to disclose her favorite to me. This is an act of intentional and deliberate, how shall we say, disobedience?”
Monique Nunes, on the other hand, was able to figure out the answer to this question and said that Brooklyn’s favorite treats are the salmon flavor of Pocket Trainers.
John Nunes said his favorite activity to do with Brooklyn is to make sure that she goes to sleep at night because she cannot attack him when she is sleeping. John Nunes said that watching Brooklyn go to sleep at nighttime means that he gets eight hours of peace so he can focus on Cal Lutheran’s students without being attacked.
“Many times, I’m walking in the house, minding my own business, thinking about the university, thinking about my dear students, and out of nowhere comes this little shih tzu who attacks me for no reason on the back of my leg, sometimes, my shoelaces. But when the dog is asleep, I find my life goes better,” John Nunes said.
Nunes said that the reasoning behind the attacks is because Brooklyn is confused, claiming that, in her mind, she thinks she is a “real dog.” According to John Nunes, Brooklyn is too small to be a real dog, so sometimes Brooklyn tries to demonstrate real “dogicity.”
“She tries to demonstrate dogicity by these fierce acts towards me. But if I were to put her in the field behind the house where the hyenas are, then we would see if she was a real dog. She would be a snack for the hyenas,” John Nunes said.
Monique Nunes explained that the attacks happen when John Nunes comes into the house, because Brooklyn is so excited to see him that she scratches his legs and runs around in circles.
