The D.P. Culp Student Center and Sodexo helped Pepper, ETSU’s new beloved canine, celebrate her second birthday on the first floor with live music and cake.

The party was held in the newly renovated Culp Center in front of Starbucks, with cake provided by Sodexo.

“Sodexo really went above and beyond,” said Mitchell. “It was awesome!”

Students gathered around Starbucks to sing “Happy Birthday” to the beloved dog before being served cake. After being served a puppy-friendly slice, she was given a Puppuccino by Starbucks manager Dani Crawford. After her refreshments, students took turns petting Pepper, who relished the attention. 

“It couldn’t have gone any better,” said Mitchell. “All the students who were there loved it.”

  • Students pose with Pepper at her birthday party last Tuesday. (Photograph by Karissa Clark / East Tennessean)
  • Dani Crawford (left) and Officer Bill Mitchell celebrate Pepper’s birthday. (Photograph by Karissa Clark / East Tennessean)
  • Pepper eats a piece of her birthday cake, (Photograph by Karissa Clark / East Tennessean)
  • Pepper, ETSU’s new therapy dog, celebrated her 2nd birthday last Tuesday. (Photograph by Karissa Clark / East Tennessean)

Live music was provided by musician Saul Brooks, who performed an acoustic set as a part of the Culp Center’s grand reopening. 

Officer Mitchell expressed joy when asked what it meant to him for Pepper to have her own party. 

“This means a lot to me,” said Mitchell. “It shows how much people have enjoyed having her here. I think it’s great.”

Officer Bill Mitchell fell in love with Pepper three weeks ago through the Paws and Stripes program at Vanderbilt University. After filling out a questionnaire, Mitchell was matched with a dog who best suited his needs. After completing her training at the Eastern Florida State College, Mitchell brought her to ETSU, where she was an immediate sensation. 

Officer Mitchell set up her Instagram profile on Feb. 25, and the pit-lab mix quickly became a local social media icon, gathering over 600 followers over the course of seven days. An open invitation to attend her birthday party was sent out as an Instagram post.

Follow Pepper on Instagram at @pepper_etsu to see her daily adventures around campus.