BETHLEHEM, Pa.— Tables, chairs, couches, even the floor— it's finals week at Lehigh University, and undergraduate students filled every square inch of Linderman Library as they crammed to finish assignments or get their studying in.
The smell of coffee was strong. Feelings of frustration were stronger.
"I'm really not feeling good," said Ella, a junior economics major whose to-do list included an endless list of projects, exams and essays. "This is not a good week."
All of a sudden, in through the Linderman lobby bounded Scout, a one-year-old labrador retriever, and her handler, Officer Stephen Romanic.
Armed with a Frisbee and an endless supply of kisses, Scout paraded about the library, placing her head on students' laps or, for one good-humored student, plopping her slobbery Frisbee on his sweatshirt.
"With Scout, how can anyone be stressed? I'm doing great," said Alex, a junior chemical engineering major.
The brown and white (literally)
Scout is a part of the Lehigh Labs, a program created in 2022 by Lehigh University Police Department to "provide comfort and support to the Lehigh Community,"according to its webpage.
Grace, Scout's partner and canine best friend, was off this week.
Lehigh Labs was inspired by Princeton University, where 2-year-old Coach was introduced as the university's full-time therapy dog in March 2022.
"My boss, [Chief of Police] Jason [Schiffer] saw an article about Princeton's therapy dog and sent it to me, wondering if we would be able to do the same thing," Assistant Police Chief Christopher Houtz said.
"Jokingly, I said we should get two."
The punchline came in the form of two little Labrador Retrievers, both from D&S Retrievers, a breeder in Kutztown, Berks County.
Once the "floodgate of puppies" opened, Houtz said, he opted to put in a deposit on two puppies right away.
Grace "graced" campus first, arriving just in time for move-in day in August 2022 with handler Detective Lt. David Kokinda.
Scout followed in December of that year (following much anticipation and a campuswide naming contest). Officer Steve Romanic had no idea what he was in for.
"I've always grown up with dogs, but I had no idea what to expect," said Romanic, a former Kutztown University police officer and North Whitehall Township resident.
He and Kokinda had to submit detailed applications to their superiors in order to be selected as the dogs' partners.
"But she gives my work so much more purpose than it already has," Romanic said.
More than a fluffy tail
On nice days, Romanic said, he likes to take Scout for rides around campus in his patrol truck: Windows down, enjoying the sunshine — just the way dogs like it.
Some days are spent playing Frisbee on the hill. Others are comprised of strolling around campus and making new friends.
"Students will see her and call 'Scout!' To them, she's not just a dog," Romanic said. "Her [and Grace] are staples of the Lehigh community."
And it's true. At Freshman Move-In Day, they're there to lick away the tears of students who may have left home for the first time.
"I remember there was one student on move-in day who was upset about leaving her family," Romanic said. I could tell that she was spending more time with Scout than most.
"I wound up taking her aside, with Scout, and helped refer her over to Counseling Services.
"I still see her on campus. She's still here. I think that is so awesome."
Lehigh Police Department also hopes that by having full-time therapy dogs present, some students who may be uncomfortable talking to police officers may be a bit more at ease.
"It's not just about image," Houtz said. "It's so much more than that. It's all about helping our students feel more comfortable, especially if they're a victim of or a witness to a crime."
Students who come to the police department, he said, ask for the dogs before they speak.
Tail-waggin' work
Once the day is done, Scout hops in Romanic's truck and it's home to North Whitehall, where Romanic's fianceé and two other dogs wait.
"She'll just plop on the floor and go to sleep," Romanic said. "It's exhausting being pet all day long."
But as soon as the next day arrives, Romanic said, it's back to Lehigh Labs' tail-waggin' work.
"It doesn't matter if there are 10 people or 10,000 people on campus," he said. "If one person needs help, that's what she's there for."
