Texas A&M Former Student Embraces Role As Reveille’s Veterinarian

Story by Megan Bennett, VMBS Marketing & Communications

September 9, 2025

Every patient at the Texas A&M Small Animal Teaching Hospital (SATH) is special, but one stands out among the rest — Reveille X, Texas A&M University’s mascot and the Queen of Aggieland.

The 6-year-old rough collie lives a pampered life on campus, spending her days attending classes, campus events, and Corps of Cadets activities. Her busy lifestyle means that she needs to stay in tip-top shape, which is where her Aggie veterinarian, Dr. Lori Teller ’88 ’90, comes into play.

A faculty clinician at the SATH and a clinical professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS), Teller has had the honor of serving as Reveille’s primary care veterinarian since early 2021.

This role includes not only conducting Reveille’s annual wellness exams but also educating her handlers and coordinating with SATH specialists during advanced procedures like her glaucoma surgery in July.

As an Aggie herself, Teller has found it especially meaningful to play such a key role in maintaining Reveille’s health and supporting one of the university’s most beloved traditions.

Stepping Up

When she was a student at Texas A&M, Teller never dreamed that she would one day serve as Reveille’s veterinarian.

“If someone had told me that, I would never have believed them,” she said. “It was so special to come back to my alma mater and be able to teach and then on top of that to also be able to take care of Reveille.”

Teller took over the role from Dr. Stacy Eckman, the associate dean for hospital operations at the VMBS’ Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, who provided care for Reveilles VII, VIII, and IX. Teller also now cares for Reveille IX as the former mascot enjoys her well-earned retirement at the VMBS’ Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Center. 

Even before she became Reveille X’s veterinarian, Teller played a role in choosing the exact dog that would take over the mascot role. In 2020, she was selected to serve on the search committee alongside Reveille IX’s student handlers and leaders from the Corps of Cadets.

“The search was very interesting because it was during COVID, so we had to do lots of pre-planning,” Teller said. “We narrowed it down to two breeders, both of whom had provided previous Reveilles, and then a small group of us went to look at the candidates and evaluate their personalities and physical appearances. In the end, it was a unanimous decision.”

In April 2021, Reveille X stepped into her new role with Teller ready to support her health and well-being however she could.

“She’s the queen of the university, so knowing that I am playing a role in keeping her healthy and making it possible for her to go out to her appearances is really a great feeling,” Teller said.

A Multi-Faceted Role

Although annual wellness visits for checkups and vaccines are an important part of Reveille’s care, serving as her primary veterinarian involves much more.

One of Teller’s most important jobs as Reveille’s veterinarian is answering any questions about her health, whether they’re from university leadership, Reveille’s handlers, or other clinicians at the SATH.

“I’m not always here on the clinic floor, so I help the clinician on duty take care of her and make sure that people are all communicating on the same page,” she said. 

Because Reveille gets new handlers each year, Teller also helps ensure that those working most closely with Reveille are well-versed in her care.

“We usually have an appointment each year where the current handler and the new handler come in so we can review her basic wellness care, look at what her specific health needs may be, emphasize the importance of heartworm and flea and tick prevention, and help them learn how to read her body language,” Teller said.

Beyond that, caring for Reveille is much like caring for any other patient.

“We want to make the visit as easy and fear-free as possible for her, just like we do for all our patients,” Teller said. “She’ll either go into an exam room with her handler or, if she’s being dropped off, we have a space in the Primary Care Service where she can stay. She tends to be easy to handle because she’s so well-trained, so we love having her visit.”

In fact, any time Reveille visits the SATH, it’s an exciting day not only for Teller but also for the rest of the faculty, staff, and students.

“Everybody wants to be part of Reveille’s care team,” Teller said. “All she has to do is walk in the front door and everybody wants to help.”

New Look, Same Reveille

Teller’s job also includes collaborating with veterinary specialists as necessary, such as when Reveille developed glaucoma in her right eye. Teller worked closely with veterinary ophthalmologists Drs. Sean Collins and Laura Donohue to develop a solution that would relieve any discomfort and maintain Reveille’s health and well-being.

During surgery, the veterinary team discovered signs of abnormal tissue, which was determined to be benign, and, out of an abundance of caution, removed Reveille’s eye.

Fortunately, Teller and the rest of Reveille’s care team are confident that she can continue fulfilling her mascot duties with only minor adjustments.

“Reveille has recovered with flying colors following surgery,” Donohue said. “Like a true Aggie, she has adapted very well to seeing from one eye and it is not slowing her down. Now that she is pain-free, I have full confidence that she will be able to return to her normal work with no adjustments. Seeing patients like Reveille back to their normal selves after surgery is always the best part of my job.”

Reveille may visit the SATH more frequently in the coming years to monitor the health of her remaining eye, but, overall, her daily life will not have many changes.

“The great thing is, dogs generally just use their eyes as a screening tool to get a broad overview of what their environment looks like,” Teller said. “Their most important senses are smell and hearing, so dogs can cope better with vision loss than people can.

“Reveille can still have her photo ops and be out on the football field and continue to do everything she was doing before,” she said. “The best thing would be for everybody to keep having positive thoughts for Reveille and know that she is ready to get back out there and do her job well.”

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For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216

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