The Summer Camp Dogs of Camp Birch Hill
Monday, April 30th, 2018
Camp just wouldn’t be the same without our summer camp dogs. Birch Hill is a family owned and operated summer camp and from the very beginning of the Morell family’s journey with camp, there has been a summer camp dog. The first dog to roam the fields and forests and swim in the lake at camp was called Camper. He joined the Morell family the year they opened camp in 1993. Camper was a brown and white Springer Spaniel and he LOVED camp more than anything. Living at camp for a dog is living the dream. It’s like a walk in the park but twenty-four-seven. Just like your favorite summer camp dogs of today, Toby and Rudy, Camper loved fun with cooking, wind surfing, water sports, stick gathering, cookouts and camp fires. Basically anything camp related, Camper loved. He was adored by all campers and counselors over the years and his spirit is still with us today as we sing songs around the camp fire and walk around the beautiful land that camp is built on.
Another summer camp dog from the past to fill us all with joy each summer was Charlie the Golden Retriever. Charlie’s favorite thing in the entire world was tennis, or mainly tennis balls. If you ever wondered where all the tennis balls went you could find them wherever you found Charlie. She also LOVED swimming, canoeing and paddle boarding. Charlie belongs to our Camp Directors of many years Chad and Holly who now reside in Portland, OR and have a new edition to their family named Archie, a beauitful baby boy. We can’t wait till Archie is old enough to come to camp!
The two summer camp dogs who rule the roost today are Toby and Rudy, both Yellow Labs adopted by camp owner Rich Morell. Rudy spends the year in Savannah, Georgia with Rich and Toby lives in Rollinsford, New Hampshire with Mike and Chrissy. Toby and Rudy bring so much happiness to everyone they come across during their day at camp. Those furry, wagging tails and fuzzy faces melt everyones hearts. Toby gets up before the breakfast bell to check on the chefs and make sure what they’re cooking up for breakfast looks delicious. He then heads back to his cabin, which is the lodge and waits patiently for Cove to start. When the directors head out the door for cove he grabs his best bandana, a stick and trots down to the circle of the pines alongside them, ready for his Yahoo. Rudy comes down, also with a stick, usually on the golf cart with Rich. Rudy loves cruising around in the golf cart so much, you may have even seen him driving it himself.
During the day while everyone’s attending their activities, Toby and Rudy cruise around and choose which ones look the best. If they join your class, you know the counselor teaching it must be good! You’ll often spot Toby doing his stretches with yoga classes, posing for the photography students or joining in with the swimming classes. Sometimes he’ll hang out with the lifeguards and make sure they’re keeping a good eye on things. Rudy often follows Toby everywhere because he looks up to him as his role model. Toby will be turning ten this year and Rudy will be turning three. The main place that you will find Toby and Rudy at camp is by the Rec Hall garden. They know it is the very center of camp and they hang out there so they can keep on eye on all the comings and goings and not miss a thing!
Check out the wonderful, heart warming adventures of our beloved furry camp friends below:
CAMPER
