![Marching to a New Beat: UNI Welcomes Furry Friend to the Team! [PHOTOS]](http://townsquare.media/site/726/files/2024/10/attachment-Untitled-design-2024-10-07T103330.995.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Marching to a New Beat: UNI Welcomes Furry Friend to the Team! [PHOTOS]
*The featured image is a generic photo of a marching band and a golden retriever and not the band/dog in this story*
The University of Northern Iowa Marching Band has added one of the cutest band members in any marching band you'll see on college football fields nationwide!
This band member looks a little bit different than the normal student who joins the UNI marching band. Her name is Winnie, she has 4 legs and a tail! Winnie looks adorable in her Panther purple marching band uniform and completes her outfit with one of the cutest cowgirl hats you'll ever see.
Winnie is a golden retriever and isn't part of the marching band as a gimmick to boost the spirit of the band and/or the crowd. She's also not there as some kind of mascot, she's there to do a job. Panther fans have grown to love seeing her march along with the band and while she looks adorable on the field, she's a working dog when she's with her handler Gabi Riessen.
Winnie the Service Dog
According to the Des Moines Register, Gabi is a 20-year-old student who plays the cymbals in UNI's marching band. She fell in love with the drums in second grade, when she received a toy drum set and she's wanted to be in the band ever since. In high school, Gabi was in the pep band, the jazz band, and the marching band.

Gabi has POTS also known as 'postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome,' which is a condition that can cause a rapid heart when she stands up after sitting. Winnie is trained to tell Gabi if her heart rate is too high and/or to alert others if Gabi needs help.
What makes Winnie so impressive is she not only is there to assist Gabi, but she also learns the steps with the band as she marches with Gabi and the rest of the UNI Panthers. She wears headphones for ear protection and stays focused the entire time she's with Gabi.
Gabi told the Des Moines Register she thinks Winnie learns the steps faster than she does and having Winnie beside her has been an incredible experience for her.
"She picked it up faster than I did. She just wears her headphones. She adapts so fast to any situation... I don’t even know how she does it. The constant reaction is so funny, and Winnie loves it. She loves attention. I feel really excited to be there. I know that if I mess up, it’s probably fine because they aren’t going to be paying attention to me, they’re going to be paying attention to Winnie."
Gabi also added that without Winnie, she doesn't even think attending college would be possible.
A Package Deal
Gabi is a transfer student at UNI and before she made the choice to switch universities, she reached out to Justin Mertz, who is the Marching Band Director. Her previous university would not allow Gabi to be part of any music activities and she wanted to reach out to Justin to be sure that having Winnie alongside her wasn't going to prevent her from joining the band.
Justin convinced himself it would be awesome to have Winnie join the band with Gabi. He told the Des Moines Register
"I was having trouble imagining the kind of music educator who would tell a student ‘no.’ Then I did what band directors do — I went into problem-solving mode. I became convinced it would be great for her to participate, and that the Panther Marching Band would be a great place for someone like Gabi. And so far, that’s proven to be true."
As I'm sure you can imagine, Winnie has become a pretty popular band member on the UNI campus. Gabi and Winnie have begun to receive emails and people have wanted to approach her to say hi and meet Winnie. These two are the best of friends and you can tell in the photos that they clearly love each other. Is it just me or does Winnie look like she also knows how to "strike a pose" for the camera?! If those photos don't make you smile, I don't know what will.
Way to go Gabi and Winnie! We look forward to seeing you on Saturdays performing at Panther games!
*P.S. - A quick reminder that while you may want to meet Gabi and Winnie, it's important to ask permission before approaching Winnie. She may look cute in her uniform and you might want to say hi to them both but Winnie is a service dog and she is working when she is with Gabi. Make sure you're given permission to say hi or pet her beforehand.
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