UTC Police Corporal Aaron Bayer and his K-9, Sophie. Photo by Angela Foster.
Sergeant Sophie recently landed her dream job at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. So did Corporal Aaron Bayer of the UTC Police Department.
Sophie, a 1-year-old Labrador Retriever, officially started her role on Nov. 3 as the UTCPD therapy dog.
Before Bayer—Sophie’s handler—began at UTC last year, he thought his policing career was over.
“I left law enforcement thinking that I was done forever, just for a myriad of reasons,” Bayer said. “Then I became a school security officer at Brown Academy right here on UTC’s campus. I started to get to know people here … they kind of suckered me back into it, and ever since then it was meant to be because this is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
That “something” was community policing and having close partnerships to build a stronger sense of trust.
“And dogs,” he added. “I’m a big dog guy. I grew up working in a kennel. My mom is a veterinarian. So this has always been a dream of mine. I never thought I would have a therapy K-9. I didn’t even know that was an option.”
The hunt for Sophie began long before she was even born.
“This has been a conversation that’s been going on for a number of years,” said Director of Emergency Management Brett Fuchs. “We asked, ‘What can we do to not only better engage with the students, but help people more?’”
Compared to most K-9s, Sophie will not help with detection or enforcement. As a therapy dog, she will work to assist victims of crime, provide emotional support to the UTC community, and participate in outreach across campus and other local areas.
“Her work is all community engagement-based,” Fuchs said. “She will be on campus with Aaron helping people feel more comfortable, providing comfort to both students and employees as well as the community outside of UTC. We’ve already had invitations to Hamilton County Schools and other places.”
UTC Police Chief Sean O’Brien, handler of Gunny—a retired K-9 and UTC’s chief canine officer—said his experience working with dogs influenced the decision to bring one to the department.
“Having done a long stint in the K-9 world, I knew the value of dogs,” O’Brien said. “One of the intents behind Sophie is that she is a gateway to building relationships with folks.
“Many people react positively to these little creatures.”
Bayer also saw the need for a K-9 from the very beginning. Little did he know that he would be the dog’s handler and owner.
“I just thought I was helping with the project. After we had gone through everything, thankfully I guess Chief [O’Brien] had seen the work that I had put in and the dedication. I think that’s why ultimately he picked me—but they’ll never tell me,” Bayer said with a laugh.
Sophie was born in Dawsonville, Georgia, at Rucker Retrievers Dog Training. She was originally trained as a service animal, but her first placement didn’t work out.
Fuchs, O’Brien and Bayer traveled to Georgia to meet her in person. When Bayer first met Sophie, he was struck by her intelligence and personality.
“What she allows us is the ability to connect with people that wouldn’t traditionally talk to us as police officers,” he said. “I could walk around campus by myself all day long and kids are kind of locked in. But with her—who doesn’t love a dog?”
Bayer said Sophie is the first of her therapy-dog kind in the Chattanooga community, which means she will have a lot of ground to cover.
“Our plan is to expand into the community, hit the hospitals, all the elementary schools, pretty much anywhere that we can go,” he said.
When she is on campus, Sophie will work closely with the UTC Counseling Center, which has already proven to be a successful relationship.
Counseling Center Director Corrinne Webster said Sophie’s presence brings comfort not only to students but to the staff as well.
“The Counseling Center is delighted whenever we receive visits from Corporal Bayer and Sophie,” Webster said. “Sometimes their visits are spontaneous, but other times we specifically request their presence. Sophie offers students and staff a welcome distraction from stress and anxiety, which helps boost mood and overall well-being.
“Animal-assisted engagement has been shown to release the hormone oxytocin, which is associated with a decrease in cortisol and increased feelings of calm. We’ve seen Sophie’s special magic at work as students come and go from the Counseling Center, smiling and connecting with her as a much-needed break in their busy days.”
Even the counselors benefit from Sophie’s visits.
“I’ve also called on the duo to check in on our counselors after attending to students in crisis,” Webster said. “Students, staff and faculty alike benefit from improved mental health when Sophie and Corporal Bayer stop by.”
At the end of a long working day, Sophie goes home with her best friend, Bayer.
“She’s with me 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said. “Since she’s a service dog, she has public access rights, so I take her everywhere with me. We go grocery shopping; she comes to the mall. She’s usually with me all the time.”
Bayer said that the majority of the work he’s done has been adjusting his own habits.
“It was me that needed the training,” he said. “I think that’s one of the most humbling things about it. You have to set your ego aside and think about what you’re doing, because if there’s anything wrong with her, it’s because of me.”
The hard work is paying off. Sophie is already opening doors on campus—literally.
“I can hand her my key card and she’ll go right up to the door, jump up, scan it, hand it back to me and I’ll open the door. She will sit and hold it open,” Bayer said.
He encouraged the UTC community to say “hi” when he and Sophie are out and about. Click here to follow Sophie on Instagram.
Learn more
UTC Department of Public Safety
Gunny, a retired K-9, finds a new beat at UTC
Photo gallery by Angela Foster
