She is well known on The University of Memphis campus. She has received several awards and brings joy to all who see her. She's Katie, a nine and a half-pound sheltie sheep dog.
Lisa Andrews, administrative associate in the Psychology Department is Katie's proud owner. Katie is a year and a half old and comes to work with Andrews almost everyday.
"The main reason I started bringing her to work," Andrews said, "is mostly for socialization. It was important to me to make sure that she gained confidence before she started participating in shows."
Katie just competed in the St. Jude Showcase of Dogs on Oct. 8. She had perfect runs and received perfect scores as well. Katie's three first-place ribbons, along with pictures of Andrews' four dogs, decorate the bulletin board in her office.
"Considering that Katie did so well at the St. Jude Showcase just shows that bringing her to work was a good thing," Andrews said.
Although having Katie at work is a treat for Andrews, other members of the Psychology Department love having her around as well.
Cassandra Dotson, the clerical assistant for Robert Bernasconi, finds Katie's presence to be a refreshing part of her workday.
"I don't have any dogs of my own so being able to see Ms. Andrews walking Katie through the hallway definitely puts a smile on my face," Dotson said.
Andrews said she believes anyone who crosses paths with Katie's can't help but smile.
"Katie is a great therapy dog," Andrews said. "I eventually want to start taking her to nursing homes because she just makes people feel good."
One of Katie's upcoming competitions is the Sheltie National Competition in the spring of 2005. Andrews and Katie are looking forward to going.
"Competing is so much fun for Katie and myself. I get exercise and I get to travel and meet up with my friends from other competitions," Andrews said.
"Katie has so much fun because to her it's not a competition, it's just like playing."
But Andrews said it seems that Katie might be having too much fun at times and isn't been taking her agility training seriously.
"I don't bring her to work everyday because she loses sight of the importance of her training. When we're apart for a while she learns when it's time to work," Andrews said.
Andrews learns how to train her Shelties at For Pets Sake. She's been attending classes there for about four years.
According to the Web site, the California-based company is dedicated to bettering the lives of animals worldwide. They provide pet owners with information to help them make good decisions that foster the welfare of their pets.
Andrews is dedicated to bettering the lives of all four of her dogs, and is thankful for how happy Katie makes people.
"I love my dog," Andrews said. "I would talk about her any day."
