Facility dog 'Goliath' joins Eastern police department
Campus canine to support students during times of stress
Willimantic, CT (04/28/2026) — The police department at Eastern Connecticut State University has recently acquired its cutest recruit. Goliath has excitedly begun his Eastern career and can be spotted around campus, tail wagging, during his shifts as an official facility dog.
The friendly canine is partnered with his handler, 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 bombsniffing 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 students. "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, such as ADA accessibility.
Rather, Goliath is tasked with supporting 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.
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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,000 students annually on its Willimantic campus. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 25 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025-26 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 15 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.
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