K-9 Officer Pepper
Vanderbilt University Police Department mourns the loss of retired K9 Officer Pepper who passed away on August 8, 2016.
Pepper was the first certified explosive detection dog at VUPD. She averaged approximately 120 deployments per year, which included the safeguarding of our sitting Vice President, current and former First Ladies, multiple Senators and Governors, Supreme Court Justices, Judges from the United States Court of Appeals For the Armed Forces, and numerous other dignitaries visiting Nashville and Vanderbilt University, in addition to ensuring the safety of the entire Vanderbilt community attending various presentations and sporting events. Having achieved perfect scores in her final two certifications, she was also the face of the K9 Unit's Dog Safety Education Initiative, assisting in the presentation of dog bite prevention techniques to several elementary schools across Nashville, as well as the entirety of patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Pepper donned the cover of VUMC's House Organ in February 2009, was featured in a national campaign highlighting service dogs by Disney, and was involved in numerous other print and television media productions featuring VUPD's K9 Unit. Officer Pepper joined VUPD in 2007 and retired in September of 2010. She lived out her retirement years as a pampered pet with her handler, former VUPD Officer Mark Mandel.
We are grateful for your service Officer Pepper.
February 1, 2005 – August 8, 2016
