National Take Your Dog to Work Day might officially only be celebrated on the Friday after Father’s Day, but for Sergeant Jamie Cheatem of the UMBC Police Department, it’s every day. Coming up on their three-year anniversary this September (and a happy belated third birthday to Chip from June 23), Sgt. Cheatem and Chip, UMBC’s comfort dog, have quickly become an inseparable duo both on the job and at home.

As a comfort dog, Chip comes along to offer support when requested by individuals in emergency situations, help alleviate stress during finals and other trying high-pressure situations, and attend various campus events. We sat down with Sgt. Cheatem (and tried to sit down with Chip but the pull of lunch smells were just too strong) to hear what it’s really like bringing your dog to work as part of your job description.

Q: How do you and Chip handle your work-life balance?

A: It was a struggle at first because you never really leave work when your work is home with you. And we had to get acclimated to each other. Chip likes to ride in the front at work and when we’re at home, she goes in the back. We get home and she still wants to play and go visit because that’s part of her job on campus, but she has had to learn that it’s time to relax. 

Q: What’s it been like for your family to have Chip join? I know your 10-year-old son, in particular, is a big part of her life.

A: My son is her biggest fan and so is my wife. We come home and you’d think Chip would still follow me around. No, she leaves me immediately. Especially during COVID, Chip really became Jamison’s study buddy and they’re inseparable when we’re at home.

Q: Okay, so we’ve established once you’re home, you do not exist. Harsh, Chip. Moving along…what’s a typical work day like for you both?

A: We get up early, I make our lunches and pack our work bags, and head to the office. As soon as we’re here, we do our first walk of the day around campus and do some training, including off-leash training. And yes, she does get to chase squirrels. After that, I do my work while she runs up and down the hallway and reminds everyone she’s here. She loves to wait for the copy machine to go off so she can grab and shred anything that gets printed. I hear a lot of “Stop, Chip! No, Chip! Come back!” And then a few more walks throughout the day.

Q: How many steps would you say you both get in each day?

A: By noon, we’re between 9-10,000 steps. By the end of the day, I usually average about 17-18,000 steps. 

(Author’s note- I was proud of the 0.91 mile walk I did to and from the police station to conduct this interview…)

Q: Like all of us, I have to assume Chip hits that 2 p.m. wall. What treat gets her through the rest of the day? 

A: Peanut butter-infused wafer chips. It doesn’t last long because it’s Chip, but she chews/inhales it immediately. 

Q: What’s the best part about working with Chip?

A:  I think it’s the joy she brings. As a police officer, no one is running to you to say, “Hey! How are you doing?” But anywhere I go on this campus with Chip, everybody from the staff to the President’s Office to students are flagging me down to yell, “It’s Chip!” Even our own officers are on the floor every day playing with Chip. It’s been really great to see that people now correlate this [police] uniform with her. She really has acted as a bridge between us and our campus community. 

Q: It’s easy for people to forget that Chip is more than just a cute face. (She glared at me here; I think she knows I meant to say “the cutest face.”) We brought her to campus to do a job and be a comfort dog. Have you seen her fulfilling that purpose?

A: She has absolutely done her job in diffusing high-pressure situations and providing comfort when we’re called in to help. There have been instances where just resting her head in someone’s lap has calmed an individual down. You really get to see the wonder of dogs. I see it every day, but it never gets old. 

Q: Do you ever find it distracting to work with Chip?

A: Never. I’ve been in this business for 25 years and it’s the most fun I’ve ever had. I can walk across the campus and hear, “There’s Chip! Sergeant Cheatem, come back!” I’ve had students yell out a fourth-story window for us to wait (and we did). It has really made me think that anyone I need to work with or interact with that I wouldn’t normally, would be more inclined to help because Chip is that bridge. 

Q: What’s the hardest part about working with Chip?

A: We can’t get to every event people want us to and that is the hardest thing. We jump around all over the place so we can try to make as much as possible work. 

Q: In your professional opinion, would every workplace benefit from having a dog on site? And can I get it in writing to take back to my own supervisors?

A: Absolutely. 

And now you have it in writing. You’re welcome, Retrievers! 

Nothing is sweeter than a Homecoming that truly feels like coming home. And after a year’s hiatus, Retrievers streamed onto campus Saturday, October 9, with family and friends in tow to celebrate. Eager to reconnect with each other and campus, alumni, students, and friends took part in carnival games, rides, and food trucks—with everything pausing for one of the most anticipated moments of every Homecoming: the puppy parade.

It wouldn’t be a UMBC Homecoming without an opportunity to promote the passion and achievements of our faculty and alumni. In the Proscenium Theatre, Grit X presenters delved into compelling aspects of UMBC’s impact in the areas of research, scholarship, and creative achievement.

Cutouts of President Freeman Hrabowski and True Grit welcomed attendees to the Alumni + Friends tent, but seen almost as frequently around the bustling field was the real Dr. Hrabowski and everyone’s favorite campus comfort dog, Chip. (We all need a little extra comfort from Chip these days as we think about saying goodbye to President Hrabowski at the end of this school year!)

So many campus groups collaborated to create a safe Homecoming experience for everyone to enjoy. “Homecoming 2021 was the perfect example of how the UMBC community comes together to support one another,” says Jess Wyatt, assistant director of Alumni Engagement and one of the lead coordinators for the event. “Despite having no idea what the landscape would look like, we were able to plan and execute an event that allowed our alumni, students, and greater campus community to come together around a shared love of UMBC.”

Wyatt pictured here with her own #FutureRetriever at the Homecoming Ice Cream Social. Photo by Kiirstn Pagan for UMBC.

Homecoming is also a time to welcome our cohort of #FutureRetrievers! We’re so excited to look forward to your 2039 graduation ceremony!

As the evening wound down on Erickson Field, the Down and Dirty Dawg Band and the UMBC Dance Team led the way to the Retriever Soccer Park, where the men’s team battled rival Stony Brook University. The men’s team did not ultimately triumph, but the stands were packed with fans rejoicing in the chance to once again cheer on the Retrievers together.

• UMBC men’s soccer plays against Stony Brook. Photo courtesy of Ian Feldman ’21 for UMBC.
• Fans giving it their all at the October 9 Homecoming game. Photo courtesy of Kiirstn Pagan for UMBC.

And finally the return of yet another favorite tradition, the Erickson Field bonfire.

Homecoming may be over, but UMBC is still welcoming Retrievers home. On Wednesday, October 20, the Alumni Association Board of Directors will honor the 2021 Alumni Award recipients.

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Header image of the fall 2021 carnival by Kiirstn Pagan for UMBC.

Earlier this year, Chip interviewed for the coveted position of campus comfort dog with UMBC Police Sergeant Jamie Cheatem.

There’s no denying that any day we get to interact with Chip is the best work day, so we were thrilled when Sergeant Cheatem agreed to let UMBC Magazine follow Chip around for a day on the job as a campus comfort dog. UMBC is the fourth U.S. campus to welcome a comfort dog, and we wanted to see what Chip’s day-to-day duties looked like.

Chip lives with Sergeant Cheatem and his family and gets a ride to the office with her favorite UMBC police officer.

Her day continues as Sergeant Cheatem completes necessary tasks at the police station before heading down to campus.

On the way to hang out with some students, Chip runs into someone who looks familiar and excitement ensues.

Chip loves her fellow Retrievers and they love her. They show their affection through Chip’s favorite activity—getting her belly pet.

Chip doesn’t make it very far down Academic Row before more admirers stop to say hi.

Although it may look like Chip’s on-campus duties involve getting the attention she deserves, she also attends events like the Retriever Courage Fall Gathering, which featured a variety of resource tables and a collection of updates about the steps the University is taking to improve its response to, and ultimately prevent, violence in our community.

Chip also responds to requests from specific departments, like when Undergraduate Admissions wanted to let the incoming class of Retrievers know that their acceptance letters were on the way. Chip was the first in the class of 2024 to get her letter!

At the end of the day, Chip is still a young pupper and needs time to frolic and get her energy out.

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All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11, featuring Sergeant Cheatem and Officer Chip.