Goliath: Eastern PD's cutest recruit

The police department at Eastern Connecticut State University has recently acquired its cutest recruit. Goliath has excitedly begun his career as a facility dog, after a meet and greet with the campus community on April 15. 

Goliath can be seen on campus during his shifts with Officer Beverly Brown, who helped bring the dog to Eastern through Canine Companions, a non-profit organization based in New York that trains service and facility dogs. 

“After Chief (Stephen) Tavares approved the idea, I went through a rigorous process of being interviewed to be Goliath’s sole handler,” she said. 

Brown clarified that Goliath is a facility dog rather than a traditional police dog: “He’s not a bomb‑sniffing dog, a biter, or a bloodhound. He is a lover and here to build community relations.” 

Goliath helps to create a calm environment during sensitive times for victims. “We hope that he will build a soothing atmosphere where someone can feel more comfortable during a challenging situation,” said Brown. 

She continued: “If we can ease that anxiety for somebody, then it’s a job well done.”

Goliath is also not a service dog, which are traditionally assigned to a single person to assist with particular tasks.

Rather, Goliath is here to support the entire university community. Beyond crisis response, students are encouraged to approach Goliath on patrol for everyday stress relief. 

“You’ll probably see us at the library with exams coming up, providing support for people who may be feeling anxious,” said Brown. “We’ll also be at major events such as commencement and various campus outreach activities.” 

According to Brown, Goliath has already begun to boost morale across campus, and facility dogs like him are gradually starting to become more commonplace in academic and professional settings. 

“Everybody here absolutely loves him and gets a chuckle from him,” said Brown. 

“Ruff ruff,” Goliath assented.