There’s no celebrity at UNC Greensboro like Odin, the comfort dog. Ever since he joined the police department in February 2023, he’s been stopping students in their tracks to pet him.
This semester, the Belgian Tervuren not only welcomed new students, but a new officer. Officer Nathan Vosler takes the leash from Officer Zachary Lynch as Odin’s new handler.
He appreciates the doors that Odin opens for him around campus. “I’m a social butterfly, so I love to talk to people and engage in conversations,” says Vosler. “I’m an older guy, I’m all tatted up, and so some people may not be so forthcoming to say hello. He definitely helps with that, 100 percent.”
Service Leads to UNCG
Vosler was born just outside Seattle, Washington and joined the Army. His time stationed overseas showed him the power dogs have in providing comfort. “Dogs have a naturally calming sense about them,” he says. “Not only is Odin providing therapy for other people; it’s therapy for me too. I think there are a lot of students who will benefit from that.”
While stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, he met the first Spartan to join the Vosler family: his wife, who earned her psychology degree from UNCG.
Upon retiring from active duty, he went into business for Carmax but ultimately felt he fit best in law enforcement. He became a deputy in nearby Randolph County and then an officer in Mount Airy, north of Greensboro. One of his favorite roles, he says, was being a school resource officer, which is what excites him the most about working on a college campus.
“It’s good to build that relationship between students and law enforcement. They need to have somebody they trust,” he says. “Most of us officers came from another agency and found a home here. It’s such a great place to work.”
He got to know K-9 officers in investigative and apprehension roles. “In my last four years in Archdale, we had a new sheriff, and he revamped the K-9 unit,” he says. “I was on the SWAT team, and we began integrating them. I’ve been around dogs and absolutely love them. My dream job in law enforcement was to work with a dog.”
New Dog in Town
Vosler joined UNCGPD in January 2025 just as Lynch was moving into other duties, and so the department asked him to become Odin’s next handler. It’s the first time he’s handled a comfort dog.
There was little trouble getting Odin acclimated to a new man with the leash. He and Lynch took turns taking Odin home at first, so that he could get to know Vosler’s family. The main challenge, he expected, would be introducing Odin to his family dog, Oliver the chihuahua.
“He’s an itty-bitty thing who wants to be the alpha, and Odin’s not an aggressive dog, but he’s of an aggressive breed,” he says. “It went surprisingly well. The chihuahua tried to have it out one day, and Odin just put him in his place. Ever since then, they’ve been peaceful.”
On Paw-trol
Even if he was not a comfort dog, Odin has built a reputation as a sweetheart. He will sit and lay down when asked, and he learned a trick to jump up to give a hug. He spent most of Vosler’s interview snoozing beside his desk. However, as soon as the officer got up, Odin was on his feet and ready to work.
Vosler would like to see Odin become a fully-certified therapy dog one day. “It would be great for him to go to children’s hospitals and old folks’ homes,” he says. “He’s got what it takes.”
Another surprising duty that comes with handling Odin, Vosler says, is handling his social media account. “I’m not going to lie, when I found out he had an Instagram, I went straight to my daughters and said, ‘You’re going have to help me get this set up.’ We’ll definitely keep that going.”
Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications
Carry an app that keeps you safe anywhere, anytime.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
