Central State University’s therapy K-9 competes for ‘Top Fur Responder in Ohio’

Penny, Central State University's beloved therapy K-9, has become a comforting presence for students navigating mental health challenges or the stresses of being far from home. With her warm demeanor and wagging tail, Penny has earned her place as a campus favorite — and now, she’s in the running to win the prestigious "Top Fur Responder in Ohio Challenge." 

Voting for this heartwarming recognition closes on Jan. 31.

The Central State University Department of Public Safety, students, faculty and staff are all rooting for the foreign Basenji breed, who has made the American Midwest home for most of her life. Penny is undeniably the shining star of the campus police team.

Penny is native to the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa. In some sense, she has come a long way, after being abandoned and rescued in the streets of Titusville in east central Florida years ago, according to her around-the-clock handler and sidekick, Officer Jeremy Blum. After being rescued, she was trained by the Brevard County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office through an inmate work-release program before being gifted to Central State in 2021.

"Penny is an exceptionally intelligent dog, reflecting the remarkable intelligence characteristic of her breed,” Central State University Police Chief Stephanie Hill said.

When Hill came to Central State University, she wished for a dog like Penny. Luckily, Hill found a program that trains rescued dogs and hands them over free of charge to law enforcement entities. 

In Penny, the campus community has a true friend who is always there when she’s needed.

“For the safety of all students, Central State does not permit pets on campus. Sometimes, (students) just want to play with Penny because it reminds them of their dog (at home),” Blum said. “During that 30-second interaction, they can feel a little calmer, especially when test time is coming up.”

“She smells fears, she smells anxiety, and that’s what she is for,” Hill added.

Michael Gormley, associate professor and chair of the Department of Communications and Visual Arts, is a dog owner who is campaigning for Penny to win the state award. He is urging CSU professors to pause at the beginning of each class and ask students to take a minute to vote.

“Students typically go through much anxiety in school especially during exams, so the idea of having Penny around for them is a wonderful thing,” Gormley said. He added that he has successfully enlisted his own sister, an Ohio public school teacher, to campaign for Penny.

The “Top Fur Responder in Ohio Challenge” is a photo contest honoring Ohio’s K-9 and mounted officers for their “commitment,” according to Light Ohio Blue, the organization that sponsors the annual contest. 

“Some of our most popular first responders have fur, walk on four legs and also work to keep Ohio’s communities safe,” the website says.

Various law enforcement entities in the state have submitted photos of K-9 and mounted officers in six categories. Penny can be found in Category 5, reserved for communities with populations between one and 4,999. Voting is underway now through Jan. 31 at https://lightohioblue.org. 

You can vote every 24 hours from each device — mobile, tablet and desktop/laptop. A daily vote for Penny from all your devices by Jan. 31 would be a perfect birthday gift. She turns 4 years old on Feb. 1.