04 Sep 2024 Pet of the Month: Mia
By Mark Oliver
Meet Mia. She’s a 4-month-old Moyen poodle with unrivaled energy, a love for attention and an insatiable appetite for anything she can get her teeth on. This fall, she’s also the newest member of University of Central Arkansas women’s basketball. The pup of Sugar Bears Head Coach Tony Kemper, Mia has already made a great first impression within the Farris Center and the UCA community.
“Everyone smiles when they see a puppy, and Mia has been a huge hit with the team so far,” Kemper said. “When the team comes to our office during the day, they’ll scratch her head and her belly, play with toys or even take her on a walk. She has been a great addition to our program so far.”
Just like dad, Mia goes to work at the office each day, although her idea of work differs somewhat.
“Mia’s office is a little dog crate that sits behind my desk,” Kemper said. “She honestly doesn’t spend a lot of time in it because she’s too busy running around and greeting guests, but she does occasionally nap in there while I’m working. At practice, Mia’s favorite pastimes are chasing things she is not supposed to and chewing on things that are not hers. Socks and sports cones are some of her favorites. She has a lot of energy, is very social and loves running with the team.”
Balancing academics and athletics can be stressful for college student-athletes, especially when they’re apart from their own families and pets. While this is his first time employing a therapy dog with one of his teams, Kemper hopes that having Mia around will help the Sugar Bears unwind from the grind and believes that the concept will continue to grow at other schools.
“You’re starting to see emotional support animals being more utilized in sports worldwide,” he said. “At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the U.S. women’s gymnastics team also had a team dog with them. I thought it would be beneficial to have Mia around the team to provide some relief from the stress of the daily routine, and I am really pleased with the results so far.”
Sugar Bears fans hoping for an “Air Bud” reenactment may be left waiting, however.
“She probably won’t be at games, unfortunately,” Kemper said. “For now, the plan is for her to spend the day around the team behind the scenes on campus, in practices and in our team gatherings outside of games.”
After a hard day’s work beside Coach Kemper, Mia returns home to play with her other favorite humans: mom Sandra and kids Brayden (14), Landry (11) and Jolie (9).
“My kids have always wanted a dog,” Kemper said. “I didn’t. My kids were persistent, however, and I relented in the end. They agreed to give up social media until they were older in order to get one, so I feel like I got something out of the deal. I’ve enjoyed having Mia more than I thought I would, and now we spend all day together. Isn’t that how it always works?”
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