Carleton mourns Uncle Steven, therapy dog and 'good boy extraordinaire'

When it came to calming stressed-out students, Uncle Steven had a sixth sense.

The basset hound was the first therapy dog to patrol the halls of Carleton University's MacOdrum Library, soothing students' anxieties with his droopy ears and friendly demeanour.

The "good boy extraordinaire," as MacOdrum Library's Twitter account described Uncle Steven this week, died on Monday.

He was either 12 or 13, according to his owner, John Vendel.

"I wish I could have one more day with him," Vendel said on Thursday. "I've never grieved so deeply, it feels [like] right now."

From puppy mill to university

Born in a "backyard puppy mill," Uncle Steven spent the first seven years of his life as a breeding hound, Vendel said.

He was eventually surrendered to the Edmonton Basset Society and adopted by a local woman.

"He came to her in pretty bad shape," Vendel said. "Hurt, distrustful of humans, scarred and scared. It took him about a year to be socialized, to actually start behaving like a dog."

He seemed to understand how they were feeling, and he seemed to know what to do to comfort them.- John Vendel

Vendel and his wife, Erika Banski, adopted Uncle Steven after the woman had a baby. Within a year the hound was certified as a therapy dog, soothing nerves at the University of Alberta, where Banski worked as a librarian.

In 2017, Banski got a job at Carleton University and the family relocated to Ottawa. Vendel began taking Uncle Steven with him to the campus, where the pair would wander the main library and the green space outside, stopping for head scratches and photo opportunities.

Among the student body, Uncle Steven quickly became a campus celebrity. 

"He seemed to know how they were feeling," Vendel said. "He seemed to understand how they were feeling, and he seemed to know what to do to comfort them."

'Take me instead'

When they weren't roaming campus, the pair could often be seen walking up and down Bank Street in Old Ottawa South, stopping in at local cafés and pet stores.

After the library announced news of Uncle Steven's death, students and staff flocked to social media to share their memories of the basset hound.

Following Uncle Steven's death, Vendel began hearing even more stories from students — like one young woman who decided that, if a dog could overcome seven years in a puppy mill, she could finish her studies.

Vendel said Uncle Steven — named, incidentally, after one foster family's relative whom he apparently resembled — would also break down cultural barriers with his winning personality.

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"Different cultures have different relationships with dogs, especially in the university setting, where you meet people from all other parts of the world," Vendel said.

"For many people it was the first time they had a positive interaction [with a dog], so it was a real pleasure to see."

Vendel said he hopes his beloved friend's legacy will live on at the university, and he's heard rumours Uncle Steven might even be given a posthumous honorary degree.

"It's a huge loss for my wife and I. He really was our family," Vendel said. "But the impact he had is really just amazing."