Concordia honors Nicodemus after death of beloved comfort dog

A display in J-Top on Friday with pictures of Nico and a card-making station to express sympathy and gratitude to Nico’s handlers.

Photo credit: Nathan Sievert

By Nathan Sievert

Nicodemus, a beloved comfort dog who made frequent visits to Concordia, died after nearly 10 years of providing a calming presence for students, staff and visitors to campus.

The golden retriever was an official comfort dog for The Rock Lutheran Church in Seward and a part of the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry. Nico began visiting Concordia when he was 18 months old, and he also visited people in hospitals and nursing homes and provided comfort during times of disaster.

Nico’s involvement at Concordia started with a weekly event called “Dogs and Donuts,” which was renamed “Fit and Fur” in the fall of 2023.

A card-making station for Nico’s handlers in J-Top. Photo: Nathan Sievert.

Suzanne Briggs, the medical director at the Student Health Center, said she teamed up with Director of Counseling Services Kathy L’Heureux to bring Nico to J-Top every Friday and promote wellness for students and others.

Nico was trained to be calm and still during times he was “on duty.” Briggs said that “Nico was trained that when his vest was on, he was working,” but it didn’t stop Nico from having some fun during breaks.

“A few students over the years would help me give Nico his paycheck,” said Briggs. “We would go in a closed room and take off his vest and play with a stuffy, or he would opt for a massage in his later years. They always enjoyed this because he acted like a real dog, running and playing.”

Nicodemus also enjoyed his time during his work. Sometimes, Nico would decide to sit on someone’s lap as if he were a puppy. Being a bigger dog, this would often get a humorous reaction, but students loved it.

Students were put at ease around Nico, and Briggs said he made people comfortable to talk.

“Nico opened up conversations I would never have gotten to have with students without him,” said Briggs. “He drew in many students, staff, and visitors over the years.”

Life during college can be stressful for many students and sometimes having an animal to interact with every now and then can help significantly.

“It was a nice break on Fridays, and especially since I’m away from my dogs, being able to see a dog is pretty nice,” said freshman Maddie Kearns. “Every time I was with Nico he would manage to put a paw or his head on me, and it was very comforting.”

“I wasn’t always able to come around and say hi, but when I did, everyone around him was always smiling,” said sophomore Addison Risner. “The comfort dogs did have a positive impact on my performance.”