UMPD introduces Sammy, support dog for mental health needs in College Park

The University of Maryland Police Department has added a new kind of campus safety tool: Sammy, a 2-year-old Labrador and golden retriever mix trained to support students and community members facing mental health or disability-related needs.

UMPD introduced Sammy, whose formal name is Samuel, on April 10 at its training center in College Park. The department said the dog is its newest staff member and its first facility dog, a role meant to supplement existing policing and outreach efforts with calm, practical support. Sammy can perform more than 40 commands, including tugging open drawers, pushing doors closed and retrieving items.

Cpl. Bart Brady, Sammy’s handler, said the dog can help calm people down and provide a strong presence for students who are struggling. In a campus environment where officers regularly encounter young people dealing with stress, illness or crisis, UMPD is framing Sammy as both a public-facing symbol and a working part of its support strategy. The department said it operates 24/7 and is internationally accredited, and that the dog fits into its broader community policing approach.

Sammy’s skills are not limited to comfort. UMPD says a highly trained facility dog and follow-up support would cost about $50,000, but Canine Companions provides the dogs at no cost because the nonprofit is donor-funded. Canine Companions, founded in 1975, trains dogs through volunteer puppy raisers for 16 to 18 months, followed by five to nine months of professional training. The organization says its dogs can learn up to 45 tasks and are placed in settings ranging from healthcare and criminal justice to education.

Maryland Today reported that Sammy arrived on campus in mid-February and spent weeks being acclimated before his public debut. He was taken to Xfinity Center for crowd exposure, walked around campus and appeared in student-heavy spaces such as McKeldin Mall. Students stopped to pet him during the class-change rush, a sign of the immediate attention he drew in the center of campus life.

Sammy also builds on an earlier UMPD comfort-dog effort. Teddy the Terp has been with the department since 2021, helping during final exams, campus events, crises and traumatic moments. UMPD previously said Teddy’s program was intended to support crime survivors, bereavement and mental health situations, while also helping build trust with students during stressful encounters. Prince George’s County Police has a similar therapy dog, Pete, and Baltimore Police introduced Penny, its first therapy dog, in 2018.