Last December, a sweet, scruffy mutt by the name of “Sergeant Bo” became the first recipient of FHE Health’s $2000 First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award. The annual contest, which kicks off again this September, raises awareness about therapy dogs everywhere, while bringing attention to those that assist first responders and the need for more such dogs.
“Sgt. Bo” and his handler Officer Faye Okert were only three months into their work as a brand-new therapy dog team with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department when they were deployed to the scene of a deadly shooting at The Covenant School. (You can read more of the story here, including Sgt. Bo’s moving journey from being a stray and a rescue to winning awards as a certified therapy dog.)
That was in March 2023. Today, Officer Okert and Sgt. Bo are beloved members of the Covenant School community. We caught up with them recently for an update about what they’ve been up to, and they shared some heartwarming news.
Hope and Healing in the Aftermath of the Shooting
In the aftermath of the Covenant School tragedy, Sgt. Bo and Officer Okert continued to provide comfort and support to the community, through weekly visits and as a consistent and calming presence for students, staff, and parents.
March 27 marked the one-year anniversary of the shooting. Soon, classes would resume in the same building where the tragedy had occurred. To support students and staff as they prepared for this potentially difficult transition, Officer Okert hatched a secret plan.
“I had noticed that a lot of kids were carrying stuffed animals to school,” she said, “and I thought, ‘Sgt. Bo brings so much joy and comfort, not just to the kids but the adults as well—let’s have little Bo dogs!’”
The initiative would not be cheap, but thanks to a private donor, Officer Okert was able to purchase 300 stuffies, each of them a miniature version of Sgt. Bo, bandanna included.
“They really look like Sgt. Bo,” Okert said.
Surprise Sgt. Bo Stuffies in Morning Chapel
One morning in February, nearly 300 K-6 students and staff gathered as usual for an otherwise typical daily chapel service. This time, though, they were in for a surprise.
“I went up front and said, ‘You guys mean so much to us,’ so in honor of Sgt. Bo’s birthday we wanted to give everybody a little Bo dog, both for the good times and for when you’re sad,” Officer Okert said.
One little boy had been asking about the stuffies. After Officer Okert asked him to help “give out the presents, he pulled a stuffie out of a backpack to show everyone.”
The joy, surprise, and happiness in the room were palpable as students and staff received their own little Sgt. Bo.
“The staff were just as happy to get the stuffies,” Officer Okert said. One teacher cried and said, ‘I’ll never forget you guys getting on the bus with us that day, and you keep showing up.’”
How the Sgt. Bo Stuffies Are Having an Impact
Since their mass giveaway in February, are the Sgt. Bo stuffies having an impact, and if so, how? We invited Officer Okert to share some examples and anecdotes:
I hear stories from the Covenant parents about the stuffed Bo dogs. They talk about how their child sleeps with them or takes them in the car; and a couple of the stuffed Bo dogs have even traveled on vacations with the families … Teachers have the stuffed Bo dogs in their classrooms.
How the $2000 From FHE Health Is Making a Difference
“We have ordered more stuffies!” Officer Okert added. She said the $2000 in award money from FHE Health was used to purchase more Bo stuffies “to have on hand to help with trauma or emergency situations.” As illustration, Okert shared that she had given one of the stuffies to a middle-school student who had been through some trauma. The student loved Sgt. Bo, so when she had to change schools and was struggling, Okert gave her a Bo dog stuffie. Now, “the Sgt. Bo dog goes to school with her every day.”
Parting Inspiration from a Distinguished Therapy Dog and Handler
Since winning FHE Health’s award, Sgt. Bo has received his “AKD Therapy Dog Distinguished Title” for 400 visits.
“Having him has been the best part of my career,” Officer Okert said.
What would Sgt. Bo say to our readers, if he could talk?
“It doesn’t matter where you come from or how you start life, if you just give it all you got, you can do and be whatever you want to do.”
Know a great therapy dog? Starting September 5, we’ll be accepting applications for the 2024 First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award. You can apply here.
