Zeke the Wonderdog, a Michigan State University icon and frequent performer at Spartan football games, will take the green at Spartan Stadium next weekend a new dog.
Zeke the Wonderdog IV, Buckshot, died earlier this year.
Zeke V, also known as Cindy Lou, is a familiar face to the Spartan community, as she performed alongside Buckshot for years as a part of Zeke the Wonderdog and Friends shows.
Handler Jim Foley said he always knew Cindy Lou would step up as the next Zeke based on her temperament and her speed.
“I’m looking for the fastest dog in the pack,” he said. “When I’m looking at a whole group of dogs, I’m looking for the one who’s going first to get fed, and who is fastest chasing around the back.”
On top of speed, Foley looks for his dogs to be comfortable around crowds and able to perform under the pressure of thousands of people yelling.
He said Cindy Lou hits the mark every time.
“I’m not afraid to take her out in front of Michigan State,” he said. “Heck, I’ve taken her out in front of the Bears, the Steelers, the Colts, the Jets. Everybody has their training programs. I train mine in the NFL.”
Foley said Cindy Lou has performed at around 20 NFL halftime shows, and it's all been to get her ready to take on the Zeke the Wonderdog mantle.
Foley’s wife Terri is also involved in raising the dogs, and she said Cindy Lou can best be described as a “controlled explosion.”
“She likes to lay around. She likes to be petted and hugged,” she said. “But then, when you bring out a Frisbee, she absolutely goes crazy.”
Zeke the Wonderdog V will make her official debut at the Michigan State Football Spring Showcase on April 18. She will be available to take pictures with students outside Spartan Stadium before the showcase.
“We always have looked at Zeke as a goodwill ambassador,” Terri Foley said. “We are there for the students.”
