Law Officers with Zoey
Concordia University Wisconsin’s Comfort Dog, Zoey, was recently part of an effort to bring comfort and healing to law officers and other members of the Baton Rouge community following a July 17 shooting that left three officers dead and three others wounded in the Louisiana city.
Zoey, along with handler Dave Enters, Concordia University’s director of counseling, and six other Comfort Dogs deployed to Baton Rouge Wednesday morning, July 20, and spent two days serving dozens affected by the recent act of terror.
On day one alone, Zoey met with nearly 100 Baton Rouge police officers, sheriff’s deputies, and emergency dispatchers.
She also made stops at a local hospital and met with the family of an officer who is in critical condition following the incident. Enters said the wounded officer’s sister and son spent about a half hour petting Zoey during their visit on the first day.
“They shared some, but not a lot,” says Enters. “They just needed to decompress.”
This is the second out-of-state site Zoey has visited in recent months to give comfort to people in the wake of a tragedy. Last month, Enters and Zoey traveled to Florida to support the human care efforts underway following the shootings that took place in Orlando on June 12.
— This story is written by Kali Thiel, director of university communications for Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor. She may be reached at kali.thiel@cuw.edu or 262-243-2149.
If this story has inspired you, why not explore how you can help further Concordia's mission through giving.