Rottweiler Loki Gets Her Dogtorate

Jun 18

Jun 18 Rottweiler Loki Gets Her Dogtorate

There were puns aplenty when Loki, a 5-year-old Rottweiler from Maryland received her “dogtorate” from the University of Maryland-Baltimore this week. With her new dogree confurred, Loki is now officially a dogtor, as declared on the school’s website.

Puns aside, Loki is a true hero to hospital patients and staff. Her owner, Dr. Caroline Benzel, began training her for therapy service while she was in med school. “She was able to work in the trauma centers because she could handle all the machines,” Benzel told KENS5. “She could come into basically any part of the hospital that needed a therapy dog to come in.”

Loki is great with patients but she was also a real comfort to nurses and other staff at the University of Maryland Medical Center, especially during the long, grueling shifts of the pandemic. Loki hand-delivered (paw delivered?) thousands of “Hero Healing Kits” – lotion, powder, Vaseline, lip balm, instant coffee, etc – to front-line workers.

Loki’s popularity and undisputed cuteness made her the face of the efforts to support med staff, and Benzel was able to raise more than $100,000 to replenish much-needed supplies.

Loki’s degree is not the first recognition of her heroism. She has also received the American Kennel Club Paw of Courage Award and the American Rottweiler Club Heroism Award. What next for this very good dog? Loki will join Benzel during her residency in family medicine at West Virginia University in Harpers Ferry, where she will continue her therapy work.

UM-B also honored Kylo Red, a 3-year-old goldendoodle and Kiera, a 6-year-old labradoodle for their service. Congrats to all the new graduates.

Watch all the Pup and Circumstance here.