Meet the Service Dog Who is a Show Stealer for This Marching Band
University marching band students play brass and wind instruments, drums, or cymbals, and typically perform at home games, field shows, and competitions. The Panther Marching Band at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) has one unique member, a service dog named Winnie.
This golden retriever is the service dog of sophomore Gabi Riessen who plays cymbals and mallet percussion in the band, reported KIWA Radio News. Winnie, who has her own band uniform, is attached to Riesen by a leash and she has been delighting football fans at UNI games.
Reisen and Winnie
Riessen, an education major from Denison, Iowa, developed postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) two years ago, reported the Des Moines Register. POTS causes her to pass out without warning. The diagnosis took six months and impacted her senior year at high school. She knew that she needed to have a service dog that can alert her before she faints, so that she can get to a safe spot and avoid getting injured. That’s where Winnie comes in.
When Riessen heard about a litter of golden retriever puppies in her hometown, she jumped at a chance to hand pick a pet that could become her service dog, according to a UNI press release. There were just two puppies left, Winnie and her brother.
“When I met with their owner, he said the girl puppy is very shy and doesn’t like many people, but Winnie immediately went over to me and sat in between my legs and wouldn’t leave,” Riessen said in the press release. “The guy immediately grabbed the papers for her even before I fully decided because he knew she chose me. I, of course, chose her because we had this connection from the beginning, and even though I was set on a boy, she was my soul dog.”
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Winnie was trained as a service dog in Omaha, Nebraska for six months, and then was released to Riessen to complete her training. But Winnie is much more than just a pet, she provides Reisen with the security she needs to be able to attend college.
“Winnie has made it where I can be like a normal person again,” said Riessen. “I can do band, because she’ll let me know if I’m okay, and I can go to my classes. Before her, we didn’t know if college was going to be an option.”
Joining the UNI Panther Marching Band
Riessen transferred to UNI after her freshman year at an out-of-state school because she was limited in what she could do with a service dog. She could not participate in band or theatre and get the college experience she wanted.
Two of her friends attended UNI and encouraged her to come. “One of my best friends, Ren — she’s on the color guard team, and she told me about how much she loved it and how amazing Director Justin Mertz is,” said Riessen. “So she gave me his email, and I reached out to him to see if being in the band with my dog could even be a possibility, and we met and talked about it. I think he’s more excited to have a dog in the band than I am.”
While Metz agreed to Riessen participating, there was still some uncertainty about what she could and could not do. “When I came in, we weren’t sure if I was going to march or if I was just going to be in the frontline,” she said. “Mertz said, ‘Let’s try it,’ and we did. Usually, Winnie isn’t spatially aware of things. But when we would march forward and backward, she picked it up no problem. Honestly, I think she’s a better marcher than me. She’s just really good at adapting to any situation I put her in.”
And Winnie is really enjoying the attention she is getting. Unlike other service dogs, Winnie is allowed to be petted. When Riessen and Winnie walk by the student section, people ask to pet Winnie and she eats it up.
The UNI experience has been very positive for Riessen because of the support she has received from the community. “I’m not gonna lie, I cried after the first couple days of being here, because I’ve never felt so welcomed before,” she said. “Obviously, I don’t have a visible disability. So some people look at me and wonder why I need a dog. At UNI, I walk around and everyone gets excited to see a dog. It just makes me feel good. I belong here.”
