Rhode Island State Police Welcome New Comfort Dog

PROVIDENCE, RI — The Rhode Island State Police introduced the newest, smallest member of the force to the public Friday. K9 Gus is a nine-week-old goldendoodle puppy, who will serve as the department's new comfort dog.

Gus will be partnered with Sergeant Heather Palumbo, who is part of the department's new Special Victims Unit.

"The criminal justice process is a difficult one for victims of trauma and we are hoping to make it a little bit easier," Palumbo said. "The soft interview room is a place where victims and witnesses should feel comfortable to share their story so that investigators can most effectively get information about the case."

Gus was introduced at the department's open house for the new "soft" interview room, a space created as part of the Special Victims Unit, which was launched in March 2021. The unit deals with sensitive crimes including sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, child molestation, labor and sex trafficking.

Once fully trained, Gus will help reduce stress and anxiety for victims, witnesses and the investigator during the interview process. Over the next year, he will undergo basic obedience training and will be part of the department's community outreach.

"Sometimes the hardest thing to do in an investigation is to build a rapport with victims so that they trust you with disclosing their abuse," Palumbo continued. "We hope that using the soft room and K-9 Gus, we will be able to gain a victim’s trust more quickly and empower them to be helpful in their own case."