UMass Boston

Beacons Magazine Winter 2026

Beacon the Comfort K-9

03/02/2026|

Instead of a study break, how about a snuggle break?

The UMass Boston Police Department (UMBPD) has become very popular on campus thanks to a four-legged, furry recruit: Beacon, a black Labrador retriever who joined the department in 2023. As the university’s first comfort K-9, Beacon helps first responders promote wellness and safety for students in crisis and the cam-pus as a whole. “Beacon aims to reduce stress and build connections,” said Student Affairs Vice Chancellor Karen Ferrer-Muñiz. “He’s been a very positive contribution

to our commitment for a healthy community.” Beacon is assigned to Officer Mark Cikacz, a nine-year veteran of the UMBPD. “Whether it is a random sighting of Beacon or a scheduled visit, the community has expressed their love of him,” Cikacz said. “We have been able to achieve new and lasting friendships with many active students and staff thanks to Beacon.”

Here are five things to know about Beacon:

  1. Before Beacon came to Columbia Point, he lived with a professional trainer who gave him intensive, structured coaching multiple times per day. His training focused on environmental exposure, agility, and confidence-building drills. Beacon attends one professional training session each month to ensure he stays current with best practices.
  2. Beacon is a member of the Boston Police K-9 Academy for Explosive Ordinance Detection (EOD). After three months of intense detection training, Officer Cikacz and Beacon received several certifications through the Boston Police Department, ATF, and the USPCA. They continue to attend in-service EOD training twice per month.
  3. After an unconfirmed report of shots fired on campus caused a large first responder presence, Beacon helped UMass Boston Health Services and the UMBPD provide stress relief  and mental health support for our students, staff, and faculty.
  4. Although he doesn’t have office hours, appointments with Beacon are available to UMass Boston students, faculty, and staff. The UMBPD does its best to accommodate requests to ensure that Beacon is serving the community!
  5. Beacon’s ongoing training, veterinary needs, food, and daily care are almost entirely funded by the generosity of the UMass Boston community.

 

Interested in supporting Beacon? Visit umb.edu/beacon to view a video and learn more!