Officer Maggie- The heart of the UNH Police Department

Officer+Maggie-+The+heart+of+the+UNH+Police+Department

Melanie Matts

Officer Maggie isn’t your typical member of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Police Department. Maggie stands tall on four legs, snout high with a uniform that consists of a black harness with a badge that reads “Maggie- University of New Hampshire Police.” 

Maggie is a three-year-old American Foxhound who doubles as a comfort dog for the UNH police department. Maggie works alongside Officer Kevin Haley and another K9 comfort dog, Officer Charlee, a yellow lab. 

Her main responsibility is comforting students at UNH, riding around in Officer Haley’s cruiser and reporting to different situations where students are in need of comfort. Her non-formal duties also include attending meet and greets and community events around campus. Whether she’s saying hello to residents in the dorms, catching a bite to eat in Holloway Commons or roaming the streets of Durham, Maggie is always a friendly face to Wildcats. 

Mondays are Maggie’s favorite day of the week because each week there is a different edition of “Mondays with Maggie,” where she meets a different member of the UNH community and introduces them through her Instagram, @unhpdk9maggie. 

On Nov. 4, Maggie met up with Alexander Hall Resident Director Maddy Maynard.  

Maynard said, “I really enjoy every opportunity that we get to work with Maggie. It is so great to have UNH PD be present for things like move-in weekend and hall events, and having Maggie there really gets the students excited and can even help to calm them down if they are feeling overwhelmed or stressed. She is so cute and friendly and brings a smile to all the students that she interacts with.” 

Officer Maggie loves to get her steps in around the UNH campus. At least once or twice a day Maggie can be found walking a couple miles through College Woods, according to Officer Haley. It’s crucial that Maggie know her way through the back trails of campus as she is certified to track missing people.  

Before coming to UNH, Maggie worked with the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office. It wasn’t until about a year ago when her funding got cut that Maggie got the opportunity to work for UNH. 

Outside of UNH, Maggie lives with Officer Haley and his family. She has a younger brother, Argos, who’s an Anatolian Shepherd. Maggie finds Argos to be quite annoying at times but she’s always very tolerant of him, according to Officer Haley. Argos is a hyper puppy that always wants to play, even when Maggie gets home from a long day of work. 

Officer Haley loves having Maggie to work with. “The best thing is that she opens doors to interact with students,” he said.   

Stay on the lookout for Officer Maggie as she continues to patrol the streets of Durham. Any inquires whether students are in need of comfort or organizations are looking to work with Maggie can be handled through the UNH Police Department.