The University of Alabama Police Department employs more than 150 people, including sworn officers, security resources assistants and civilians. Among them are Kenny and Maggie, two officers who get about on four legs and enjoy belly scratches.
As the department’s canine ambassadors, they play a unique role in connecting UAPD with the campus community. With their furry faces and wagging tails, they help build relationships and foster positive interactions between officers and the people they serve.
Meet Kenny and Maggie
Kenny, a three-year-old mix, joined UAPD in 2024, when the department’s community canine program began. Maggie, a year younger, came along in 2025. Both are rescues from the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter. Both are also stars on campus. Their faces adorn stickers you can see on water bottles and laptops. And they have Instagram accounts, each boasting more than 3,700 followers.
“That car we drive is hers,” Maggie’s human companion, Officer Justin Booth said, referring to his UAPD patrol vehicle. “She’s like a queen in the backseat. I chauffeur her around.”
Booth remembers when Maggie stole the spotlight during a campus safety presentation for students. Two tables were set up in the front of the classroom for the talk.
“And the next thing you know, Maggie’s jumping on the tables and just making sure that everybody knows and sees who she is,” Booth said. “That was kind of a funny moment.”
Kenny’s K-9 handler, Officer Marshall Wade, knows exactly what Booth means.
“I was going through the drive-through at Chick-fil-A one day and just grabbing some lunch,” he said. “One of the workers there was like, ‘Hey, Kenny’s in the drive-through line!’ And so all the workers stopped doing what they were doing to come and see Kenny in the drive-through line. So that’s my moment of fame right there.”
Neither Kenny nor Maggie are police dogs in the traditional sense. They are not trained to sniff out drugs, to search for people, or to take part in rescue operations. Nor are they trained service dogs. They spend their days roaming campus with Wade and Booth, comforting and cheering UA students and employees. Wade says building connections is the whole point.
“If we were to walk around our academic buildings or around just by ourselves, people are always kind of wondering what’s going on or what we’re up to; are we responding to a call?” he said. “But when they see the dogs, they understand that we’re just there to connect with them. And so that really just relieves people of their stress and their anxiety of us being around.”
Wade, Booth and their four-legged partners work eight-hour shifts. A typical day includes a mix of activities, from planned events such as safety seminars to impromptu belly-scratch breaks on the Student Center lawn. A day might carry Kenny or Maggie to classrooms, dorms, UA offices or student social events.
At day’s end, Maggie goes home with Booth and Kenny heads out with Wade, where the dogs recharge and enjoy themselves.
“Usually after a long day, [Kenny] goes into the crate just because he’s tired from being on campus all day long,” Wade said. “But he runs around with my dog, my kids. He’s just a part of the family.”
Kenny and Maggie are part of the UA family, too. Their Instagram accounts showcase the dogs with students, faculty and staff. Everyone’s having a good time. Visits from Kenny and Maggie can help students assuage their homesickness or anxiety, Booth said.
“We can come out and we can hang out with them for a few minutes and kind of help them calm down and help them cope and help them just understand that it is okay,” he said. “We’re here to help you. I mean, that’s our full job.”
A full job that takes Kenny, Maggie, Wade and Booth over nearly every inch of The University of Alabama’s campus, bringing students and employees a little cheer, much-needed comfort, and of course, happy wags that go a long way.