By Cary Littlejohn and Sarah Yoro-Massad
Aug. 26, 2025
Contact: Cary Littlejohn, carylittlejohn@missouri.edu
It’s been said that every dog has its day, and that day is today.
Dogs are often seen as humans’ best friends, and that’s true across the University of Missouri campus. Dogs improve our mood, keep us company in difficult times, make the learning process easier, and even conduct investigative work for law enforcement.
On National Dog Day, meet some of Mizzou’s best good boys and girls.
Kelce
Kelce II, a sweet Golden Retriever, is always ready to lend a paw to help children at the Combs Language Preschool, which is operated by the College of Heath Sciences’ Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences.
The 3-year-old facility dog was trained by Retrieving Freedom, Inc., which named her after Kansas City Chiefs football player Travis Kelce, and she’s just as valuable a player to the preschool team as her namesake is to his NFL squad.
“Kelce has developed an essential presence in our classroom that helps encourage our kids who are a little unsure about participating.” Christi Baker, the director of the preschool, said. “She has a tendency to calm our little friends when they become dysregulated and helps them refocus just by being near them.”
Baker describes Kelce as a motivator around the preschool.
“All of the children in our program have some kind of communication delay or disorder.” Baker said. “Kelce seems to have her own special language with many of them; she can capture their attention when we cannot. The children often engage with her and make eye contact with her on a level that we just can’t. And then there are others who simply want to play with her, and that is
Azdra
Every officer needs a trustworthy partner – and for one University of Missouri Police Department (MUPD) handler, that partner comes with four paws, a nose for safety and a passport that shows she’ll travel for work.
K-9 Azdra was born in Poland in 2023. She was acquired through Shallow Creek Kennels in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, and trains regularly with other local law enforcement agencies, such as the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Columbia Police Department and Missouri Capitol Police. The young German shepherd may be new to campus, but she’s already making a positive impact with her handler, MUPD Officer Susan Dunlop. They’re taking over for Officer Joan Haaf and K-9 Brass, who retired in July.
Certified in explosives detection by the Missouri Police Canine Association, Azdra keeps Mizzou safe by detecting potential threats, especially at large-scale gatherings, such as Mizzou sporting events and commencement. Azdra is also expanding her skill set as she trains for certification in locating missing individuals. When she’s not working, Azdra enjoys playing with her favorite toy, a solid rubber ball, and spending time with her (human) family.
Azdra’s presence on campus reinforces the MUPD’s commitment to public safety. With her focus on the mission and her nose to the ground, Azdra continues to protect the Mizzou community, one sweep at a time.
Luna
If you’re walking by Speakers Circle on a Wednesday afternoon, you might just see a gigantic white fluffball holding court among a horde of students. That’s Luna. She’s a bit of a celebrity.
Jason Furrer, an associate professor of microbiology in the School of Medicine, and his wife, Jennifer, an assistant professor in the Sinclair School of Nursing, often take Luna to check on students and get all the pets they have to offer. For this reason alone, the 5-year-old pandemic pup would be famous enough in her own right.
But Luna is the niece of perhaps the most famous Mizzou dog of all, Harlan, the Great Pyrenees.
“It’s fantastic to have students come up, say hi and start telling us their stories,” Furrer said. “They miss their families. They miss their dogs. They just needed good luck before a test. That’s what Harlan was here for, and that’s what Luna is here for, too.”
If Luna’s signature move is being a very good girl, her signature look is her backpack.
“We put the backpack on Luna, and she is absolutely ready to go to campus,” Furrer said.
Not only does it help keep Luna calm, but the backpack also serves as a “who’s who” of buttons and pins from students.
“This one right here,” Furrer said, pointing to a round white button with “Miss Luna” written in script above the Columns. “This was her first one, and it was from ButtonsbyTaylor. That just started an avalanche. Everybody started bringing them, and we’ve been happy to support students by pinning them to her vest.”
Chewie
Don’t let his much bigger little sister’s pedigree and stature overshadow the Furrers’ other loveable doggo. He may only come up to her knees, but he’s got a big personality.
His name’s Chewie, he’s a French bulldog, and he’s going on 7 years old.
As demonstrated by a chorus of grunts and snorts, he’s not quite as stoic as Luna. But that certainly doesn’t stop Mizzou Tour Team members from pausing their tours to indulge Chewie’s curiosity and let prospective students and their families meet one of the dogs of Mizzou.
“He knows his ‘sit,’ he knows his ‘stay’ and he’s pretty good with it when there are treats around,” Furrer said. “If not, he gets a little rambunctious.”
If Luna’s claim to fame is her connection to Harlan, Chewie’s is his connection to his dad’s students. Furrer got the dog from the mom of one of his former students.
Furrer owned another French bulldog before Chewie, and he would show photos of the pup as part of his introductory PowerPoint presentation to his classes.
“One day, I had a student come running down to me after class,” Furrer said. “‘I love Frenchies! My mom raises them!’ And then years later, we ended up getting Chewie from them.”
Chewie and his sister are such valued members of the nursing school as its unofficial mascots that they’ve even got their own official staff member page on the school’s website.
