Guirguis, like many USF students, was overjoyed the first time she met Snowbird and Officer Lickenfelt.
Photo Courtesy of Majo Solís
By Matthew McGovern
Karen Guirguis, a third-year biomedical sciences major, was enthralled to meet Snowbird for the first time.
“I feel like my soul left my body when I met him and now I have to come back down to Earth,” Gurguis said.
University of South Florida Police Department (PD) officer Mark Lickenfelt and campus therapy K-9, Snowbird, have become permanent fixtures in the University of South Florida community.
Snowbird became part of the USF St. Petersburg PD in early 2024, prompting a cult-like following amongst students and staff
Snowbird came to USF St. Petersburg from the Palmetto-based nonprofit Dogs Inc., where he received extensive obedience and human comfort training.
Lickenfelt detailed that this was part of an effort by USF St. Petersburg Regional Chancellor Christian Hardigree to continue the presence of an on-campus therapy animal to make for a more positive experience for students following the retirement of USF Tampa’s former resident therapy K-9, Bailey, in April.
Photo courtesy of Majo Solís
“The chancellor and our chief of police saw the important need of having a therapy dog on campus,” Lickenfelt said. “We knew that it would be a big hit, a big success, but we didn’t know it was going to be this big of a hit.”
Hardigree and the USF St. Petersburg PD’s 2024 initiative is one that could be expanded in the future, Lickenfelt told The Crow’s Nest.
As it stands, USF Tampa is slated to have a guide returning to campus in the coming months, and potentially, a second therapy K-9 on the force in St. Petersburg.
While running into Snowbird is enough to make one’s day, Lickenfelt details how his job description entails far more than impromptu appearances.
“The main purpose is to provide comfort and support for people going through stress and anxieties and for people going through a crisis. It could be a mental crisis, and this is when we would deploy Snowbird, get him in there, and help everyone to calm down,” Lickenfelt said.
Lickenfelt recounts one such example of a student experiencing a major crisis, in which the duo was able to step in and provide assistance. According to Lickenfelt, the student claimed that his life was saved by Snowbird.
Photo courtesy of Majo Solís
“When you hear something like that, that he actually saved him, he touched him and got to help, it shows that he’s making that difference,” Lickenfelt said.
Photo courtesy of Majo Solís
Snowbird and Lickenfelt serve USF’s three campuses, making for a demanding schedule. Lickenfelt stressed the importance of simply letting him be a dog when he is not working.
“He has a mental boundary. When we take of the harness, he knows its playtime,” Lickenfelt said.
Photo courtesy of Majo Solís
Lickenfelt added that some of Snowbird’s favorite off-the-clock activities include playing fetch, swimming and roughhousing with his furry friends.
Lickenfelt is Snowbird’s permanent handler and takes immense pride in being able to serve the USF community. He encourages students to use Snowbird and the USF St. Petersburg PD at large as resources.
Students can find Snowbird trading in several locations around campus including Harbor Hall, Nelson Poynter Memorial Library and Student Life Center.
“If you or someone you know is going through something, you can always contact university police for help,” Lickenfelt said.
For students and faculty experiencing a crisis or looking to have the duo make an appearance at an on-campus event, the university police department’s website has a Snowbird request form.
