The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Police Department has welcomed its first therapy dog, a one-year-old Labrador named Sgt. Sophie, to support campus wellness and community engagement. Handled by Corporal Aaron Bayer, Sophie isn’t involved in enforcement but provides comfort to students, staff and visitors, especially those in distress. The initiative complements the department’s broader…
UTC campus feels pawsitively brighter with Sophie’s wagging tail therapy
A one-year-old Labrador retriever named Sophie has joined University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s campus as a therapy dog, partnering with Corporal Aaron Bayer from the UTC Police. Originally trained for service work, Sophie now works with the Counseling Center to boost mood and wellbeing among students, faculty, staff and officers. Her presence is already lifting…
UTC Police Department welcomes Sergeant Sophie the therapy K-9
Sergeant Sophie, a one-year-old Labrador Retriever, has joined the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Police Department as the campus’s first dedicated therapy K-9, beginning service November 3. Handler Corporal Aaron Bayer, along with Chief Sean O’Brien and EM Director Brett Fuchs, emphasize Sophie’s role in community engagement rather than law-enforcement—offering comfort to students, staff, victims…
UTC to implement new alert system after active shooting hoax
UTC is upgrading its campus emergency communications after a recent active-shooter hoax. WTVC The new alert system will “take over” campus screens, websites, social media, and broadcasting platforms—beyond just texts and emails—to deliver quicker and broader notifications. WTVC The hoax, attributed to a group called “Purgatory,” triggered the changes as UTC seeks stronger, multi-channel threat…
Gunny the dog breaks ice, wins hearts on UTC campus
At UTC, Campus Police Chief Sean O’Brien — a retired police lieutenant — walked across campus one morning in uniform with a police dog named Gunny to see if it would help spark conversations with students. About 90 % of students ignored the effort, many absorbed in their phones. Although the experiment didn’t produce mass…