Southern University System
05/29/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/29/2026 10:28
Campus community saddened by death of SUPD emotional support animal
Campus community saddened by death of SUPD emotional support animal
Date May 29, 2026
The Southern University and A&M College campus community is saddened by the death of the Southern University Police Department's certified emotional support animal, Skye, who died on Tuesday, May 26. Skye, a 7-year-old husky, was donated to the University in 2024.
"Skye received optimum care and lots of love here at Southern," said Dr. Tyra Davis, campus veterinarian and program lead for pre-veterinary medicine in the College of Agricultural, Human and Environmental Sciences. "Sadly, she was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis in January. We believe her death is a sequela of the disease."
Sky accompanied SUPD officers and the SUPD crisis interventionist counselor on calls, attended student events, and was even on call for students.
"We are all heartbroken," SUPD Chief Joycelyn Johnson said. "Skye was a very special part of our family and she will be missed. Students really embraced her; they would come by the police department just to see her. She really made a major difference in our community policing efforts."
Johnson said that since Skye made such a positive impact on the campus, that an emotional support animal will always be part of her team.
Lorenzo Bennett, a Southern alumnus and owner of Four Paws Pet Cremation, has generously donated cremation services for Skye. A memorial will be held on campus at a later time.
If you or someone you know is affected by the death of Skye, please go to www.subr.edu/counselingcenter for campus and community mental health resources. The University Counseling Center will be open for students Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Southern University System published this content on May 29, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 29, 2026 at 16:28 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]