TIFTON — The University of Georgia's Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory recently acquired a new team member in the form of Bunson, the latest Dawg statue.
Part of an initiative by the UGA Tifton campus' Agribusiness Club and Collegiate FFA, Bunson is the 16th in a series of Dawgs that have been placed around town to observe the 100th anniversary of UGA's Tifton campus. For the Veterinary and Diagnostic Investigational Lab, the statue represents its anniversary also, mark the 75th anniversary of the lab's presence in Tifton.
The entire faculty and staff of the University of Georgia's Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory came together to mark the unleashing of Bunson, a ceremony that officially welcomed the Dawg to the lab.
The lab has been a part of Tifton and UGA for more than 75 years. It has supported not only the university but more than 150 Georgia counties and some neighboring states in its full-service animal diagnostics.
With the arrival of COVID-19, the lab has even provided aid to nearby hospitals, helping them deal with the virus by offering the facility as a testing site.
Dr. Hemant Naikare, laboratory director, said Bunson is meant to be an anniversary gift to the lab, marking 75 years as an institution. However, due to circumstances, Bunson came to mark 76 instead; the Dawg was initially meant to be installed at the lab last year, but due to the pandemic, the process could not be completed until now.
"It was a collective desire of our team," Naikare said. "When we asked, 'Well, what do we do to mark our 75th year?' We had certain other projects in mind for the expansion of our lab, but we thought, 'Let's start with getting a Dawg to boost the morale of all our folks.'"
Bunson's name was decided through a contest held at the lab, with 26 names suggested and the winning name being voted on by the entire college. The Dawg design is meant to represent the lab and its history, with the symbol for veterinary medicine and a section marking the year of the lab's founding included as some of the design details in the Dawg's final look.
Matt Wiggins, the winner of the contest to decide Bunson's name, with the University of Georgia's Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory's new Dawg. He decided on the name Bunson due to the lab often using bunsen burners in many of their studies.
Bunson is placed in front of the lab and its sign, being clearly visible from Brighton Road to introduce people to the lab and remind them of the facility's history and presence in Tifton.
Getting a Dawg "is a very nice feeling, it's a very happy feeling," Naikare said. "It's a feeling that makes us feel like we are part of the campus. Perhaps now our main campus, the College of Veterinary Medicine, is also looking into adding a Dawg."
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