The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Police Department is welcoming their newest and possibly their most adorable new team member: Officer Bear. Bear is an 11-week-old Double Doodle puppy who will serve as UWL’s emotional support dog.
Officer Bear was donated to the university by Jeannie Schmidt of Schmidt Doodles in Holmen, Wisconsin. Bear’s brother Harvey was also donated to UW Stout’s police department in order to provide the same service for their campus.
The dog’s primary role is to be a calming presence on campus, while being a source for students to turn to when stressed. Bear’s employment relies heavily on the rising trend of universities implementing emotional support dogs on their campus. Research has found that emotional support animals on college campuses help students through stress relief, loneliness reduction, improved mood and emotional health.
Over 60% of U.S. college campuses have emotional support animals on duty, ready to support students in a variety of ways.
The idea of bringing an emotional support animal to campus has been planned for more than a year after the university saw success in emotional support animals on college campuses. Officer Armen Megan, the handler of this pup says Bear is already blending in as an eagle.
“He’s been asked for everywhere, from maintenance to the chancellor—everyone wants to see him. Everybody is waiting for their turn to meet him.”
Although Bear has been seen cuddling up with students on campus, he still needs to go through the necessary programs, like obedience and training therapy, which will grant him verification into being an official emotional support animal. His training will also give him the tools to respond to a variety of situations, all aiming to support those at UWL.
“Everyone’s demeanor changes when they see a dog,” Officer Megan said.
Evelyn Scheffen, a second-year student at UWL agrees:
“I was able to meet Bear this morning and it was so refreshing to see a dog on campus, it really made my day on my way to class,”
For students, being away from home sometimes means being away from their pets. Having a dog walking around can provide the comfort students are missing, especially when balancing schoolwork.
Bear needs to connect with students often, so he is used to interacting with students on campus. UWLPD encourages students to come say hi when they see Bear on campus and give him a pet.
Officer Bear is ready to provide cuddles and a helping paw for the campus community.
