Lexi White- General Reporter
Everyone was wagging their tails at K9 Jules’ fourth birthday party on Wednesday, April 3, in the Adanti Student Center!
Sergeant Cynthia Torres organized a fun-filled event in honor of Jules and all the love he has brought to campus. There were tarot card reading sessions, rock painting, iHeart Radio DJs and an ice cream truck full of goodies for students to indulge in while celebrating the fluffy guest of honor.
Torres has been with the university Police Department for 20 years but was paired with Jules in January 2020, when he was only two years old. Before Jules was paired with Sgt. Torres, he was raised in a prison in New York, where he learned to be a service dog.
Jules can recognize sadness, depression, anxiety and hardship. He responds by comforting the person experiencing these symptoms. Although, Jules is specially trained for people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD.
Other than the students and faculty of the university, Jules’ fuzzy friends in the field from other universities and police departments trotted over to the party.
Service and police dogs from Yale, University of Connecticut, the London Police Department, the State Police Department and the Groton Police Department came to show their love for Jules.
“I am hoping that students remember the police in a positive way and know that we care for them,” Torres said. “I want this to be a fun experience for everyone.”
One student who was having a great time at Jules’ birthday party was healthcare studies major Kayla Tirozzi, a freshman. She spent her time getting ice cream from the ice cream truck outside and playing with the service dogs.
“I think this brings so much positivity because everyone likes dogs,” Tirozzi said. “This truly brings the community together.”
Other than bringing the campus together, Jules’ birthday party served as a way for students to relax and take a break from schoolwork.
Business major Sean Qian, a sophomore, said, “This is such a nice change in pace from everyday classes and being here is definitely something that is keeping me going.”
Students were very happy to help celebrate Jules and all that he does for our campus, such as bringing students comfort and helping the officers do their jobs.
Computer science major Sina Shojaee, a junior, was another student who was very excited to be at Jules’ birthday party. He was really enjoying the music that the iHeart Radio DJs were playing.
“I think that it is really cute that they are throwing a birthday party for him,” Shojaee said. “Not only is this an appreciation of his service, but it also brings about the spirit of celebrating a dog’s birthday.”
Shojaee also considered Jules’ celebration as a way to take a break from all the hardships of school.
“An event like this raises morale because this semester has been kind of rough,” Shojaee said. “If we all take things too seriously, we will all get depressed and break down, and that is why this event is genuinely good for everyone.”
