ISU’s Pawfficer Sage is set to hang up the vest after five years in the service

NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State University Police Department announced that therapy K-9 Pawfficer Sage is headed into retirement after five years of service. Police Chief Aaron Woodruff dove into the impact Sage has had during her time in the service, and how she became the beloved pawfficer.

“She’s greeted over 71,000 individuals… and she’s also attended over 1,000 events on and off campus, and that’s with COVID-19 factored in.” Woodruff said.

Woodruff believes that if COVID-19 did not happen in the beginning of Sage’s time, her impact would have been larger, but that the impact she’s made in five years despite her health problems has been amazing.

 The idea of adding a dog to the campus law enforcement team was sparked in 2017 when the department was searching for ways to increase police engagement with the university. After receiving approval from Vice President of Students Affairs Levester Johnson and former ISU President Larry Dietz, the police department was able to move forward with the search for a campus canine.

ISU police worked with SIT Service Dogs in Ava, Illinois. The company which primarily works to train dogs for individual carriers agreed to work with ISU police for a facility canine. At two years old, Sage was named the university’s pawfficer in 2019 after further training.

Sage was welcomed by the university immediately. Woodruff shares that she was the perfect dog for the university. Sage had the right temperament, worked well with children and was sensitive to the emotions of the individuals she was around, which allowed her to adjust to their needs.

The impact Sage has had extends farther than her work at the university. Other universities and police departments have also introduced facility canines to their communities after seeing the positive impact Sage has had on her community.

Campus police announced that a new dog will join the university in the spring of 2025. Woodruff notes that the department still does not have any details regarding the new dog. They are continuing to work with SIT Service Dogs and will share more information once it is available.

Deputy Chief Nichol Bleichner will be Sage’s permanent caretaker during her retirement.

“It’s possible students will still see Sage while she’s being walked.” Woodruff said

Pawfficer Sage does not have a definite retirement date, Woodruff states she will remain on campus as long as she can handle, and the department is taking it day by day. The hope is for Sage to be a part of the transitional period when the new dog is introduced.

Woodruff shared that Sage has worked incredibly hard as the university’s pawfficer and that she is deserving of her time to be a “normal dog”.