Emotional support dog now on duty at UWL campus

UW-La Crosse has introduced a new police officer…one with four legs and fur.

Its name is Bear, but the animal is a dog, an emotional support canine. Bear is a “double doodle” puppy, nearly three months old, and assigned to help students and others on campus feel comfort in stressful situations. Officer Armen Megan from the university police department has been partnered with Officer Bear. Megan says Bear will be trained on “how to react to people in crisis, ’cause those situations aren’t always calm.”

“If the situation provides that he can be used, having him ready to behave in the correct manner and not react negatively to someone” is the goal, said Megan.

Campus Police Chief Allen Hill says Bear has plenty of fans at the university. “We have students now that stop by the department and ask if he’s here,” said Hill. “If he’s here, we’ll take him out into the lobby, and they’ll play with him. That’s one of the big things that we hear from students, is they miss their pets at home.”

Bear was donated to UWL by dog breeders in Holmen. He made his debut in public before university officials and the local media on Wednesday, accompanied by his brother, known as Thunder, who has similar duties at UW-Stout.