Puppy Love on the Patio | Welcome Weeks 2018

Pictured above: K-9 Orry gets to know students at Patrol Pups 2018. University Police, and their canine counterparts, turned up in force Aug. 15 to introduce the campus community to law enforcement. | Photo submitted

By Hannah Hamilton
Resident Assistant
Hotz Honors Hall

Patrol Pups is a Welcome Weeks program put on by University Housing. It was held Aug. 15 outside the Arkansas Union.

More than 100 students met UAPD officers and had a chance to learn about these canine cops and pet the furry officers.

Upon arrival at Patrol Pups, students checked in with their student ID and received a raffle ticket for chances to win cool prizes throughout the event.

While waiting for the K-9 unit to arrive, students were able to enjoy a variety of gourmet finger foods such as mini quiches, chicken tenders, Caprese kabobs and much more. Once the police dogs arrived, the petting frenzy began. One of the dogs present at the event was K-9 Oakley.

After getting attention from the students, K-9 Oakley performed a few tasks with handler Officer Wesley Copelin to show her obedience training.

Another police dog present, K-9 Rickie, performed his narcotic detection training with Officer Ryan Barber and detected drugs in a box, while another officer explained the science behind how search and rescue missions are performed.

K-9 Rickie showed off his loyalty and obedience training by performing his officer protection task and mock “attacking” another officer.

There were also tables sharing information on Residents’ Interhall Congress (RIC), Lead Hogs and No Woman Left Behind. Residents’ Interhall Congress is an elected body of residential students who work to improve life for on-campus students.

Lead Hogs is an on-campus program that helps students develop leadership skills and get involved on campus and in their residence halls. No Woman Left Behind is a program that was created to educate the community about sexual assault and help improve public awareness.

This program was very helpful in showing the fun, friendly, and approachable side of UAPD officers while also letting students pet and love on their furry companions.