Pepper, Public Safety’s first therapy dog, is widely known on campus and loved by students. However, Pepper will now be in another patrol car with a new face.
Sgt. Dreama Pullon became Pepper’s new handler at the beginning of the spring semester after Officer Bill Mitchell retired. She left her mark in Washington County, Virginia, where she was a patrol sergeant for 17 years.
Sgt. Pullon is joyful that she is now Pepper’s handler and on campus.
“I’ve always been a ‘pet person,’ especially dogs,” said Pullon.
Students have dearly missed Pepper over the break, and Pepper was more than ready to come back to see all of her friends.
“The students love her, and she loves them,” said Sgt. Pullon.
After a long month of Pepper not being on campus and the uncertainty regarding if she would be back, Sgt. Pullon took Pepper to the dining hall to visit with students and faculty during the first week of classes.
With Pepper on campus and Sgt. Pullon doing her daily sergeant activities, Pepper will be exhausted, but luckily there are breaks for Pepper to rest and relax after running all of her energy out.
“I work 12-hour shifts, but there are breaks built in the schedule for Pepper to rest during the day,” said Sgt. Pullon.
Pepper is not alone though, since Sgt. Pullon has a dog named Kylie that she and her wife adopted a few years ago. Kylie will accompany Pepper and become true sisters.
Pepper will also continue to make her special appearances with Sgt. Pullon and help calm students down during final exams week.
For more information about Sgt. Pullon and Pepper, contact Joe Smith at smithje@etsu.edu. To keep up with Sgt. Pullon and Pepper, follow @pepper_etsu on Instagram.
