Apollo Merker earned his Juris Dogtorates degree from Stetson this Saturday.
Stetson College of Law
Stetson’s graduating class is dog-heavy, but the cats are scratching up their diplomas safely at home.
Each year, Stetson College of Law invites the community to register their pets for the Juris Dog-torates and Purris Doctorates program. On Saturday, April 23, 50 dogs and cats received their degrees and officially joined the Stetson family.
Owners don’t need to be Stetson students – everyone is welcome – but many were.
“It’s a fun de-stresser right before finals and also adorable to watch the dogs walk the stage,” said Hannah Harley, President of Public Service Fellows, the Stetson organization responsible for the event. Harley says the Fellows partner with the Student Animal League Defense Fund at Stetson to put on the annual event.
The event was founded in 2019 by Stetson student Jenna Jordan, who created the program in honor of her rescue dog Mickee. He was the one that got her through law school, and she thought he deserved his own degree.
“The primary focus is connecting students with pro bono projects though,” Harley said.
Apollo’s mom Jessica Merker is a third year law student, but anybody’s pet (even cats) can earn a degree.
Stetson College of Law
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