Among the nearly 300-member University of Northern Iowa Panther Marching Band is one unofficial furry member – Winnie the golden retriever.
Winnie is UNI sophomore Gabi Riessen's service dog.
"I'm part of the marching band so that means she is too," Riessen, who plays the cymbals, told ABC News Cedar Rapids affiliate KCRG.
Riessen, an elementary education major, has had Winnie for a year and a half, according to a UNI article. Winnie is trained and helps Riessen, who has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome or POTS, a condition causing one to faint or be lightheaded when standing up from a lying down position due to an abnormal increase in heart rate, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
"For me, it means that I pass out randomly without warning like my heart rate just fluctuates more than most people," Riessen explained to KCRG.
When Riessen performs or practices for marching band, Winnie is right there on the field with her and is also equipped with headphones to protect her hearing.
Justin Mertz, the director of the Panther Marching Band, told KCRG that having Winnie with students has worked out well.
"As we talked through things, it became more and more clear to me that not only did I think that it would be OK, I actually thought we'd be able to make it work very, very well," Mertz said, adding, "I'm a music educator and we believe that music is for everyone and it's our mission to provide these musical and educational opportunities for every single student."
Riessen said having Winnie has opened doors for her, and she encourages others to pursue their passions.
"You can do what you put your mind to, no matter if you have a disability or not. Just going out there and doing it is what's important," Riessen said.
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