The Center for Career & Professional Development sponsored the Mardi Paws pet food drive, Feb. 13, in the Galloway Business Building. The event featured “Lace-e,” a Blue Lacy emotional support dog. Alongside Lace-e was “Derrick Boomer Lamar,” a K9 in training for LUPD.
“(The event) is a pet food drive for pets, and people can come in and take a picture with Lace-e, the emotional support animal who's here,” LUPD Sergeant Byron Popillion said.
Popillion brought Derrick to see how an emotional support dog works.
“He's only been with us about three weeks now,” Popillion said. “So, we're very young into his training. He's going to be a victim's assistance dog. When people are stressed, going through something emotional or there's some type of trauma, he's going to be the type of dog to try to help them get through those things.”
LUPD and staff with Derrick Boomer Lamar during the Mardi Paws pet food drive, Feb. 13, in the Galloway Business Building. UP photo by Brian Quijada.
All the donations went to support Animeals, a program with Meals on Wheels. Joella Harvey, Lace-e’s owner, said Lace-e has been her emotional support dog since her husband passed.
“My husband bought her to hunt with and he was training her to hunt, and we both came down with COVID and he passed away,” Harvey said. “I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I had already spoken about having her trained to be working with the therapy. I needed something a little bit more uplifting, so I started doing more events.”
Lace-e poses for a picture with a Mardi Gras outfit during the Mardi Paws pet food drive, Feb. 13, in the Galloway Business Building. UP photo by Brian Quijada.
For more information about Animeals, visit seniormeals.org/animeals.