About Kids Best Friends

Safer schools, students and communities with professional working dog teams, K9 programs, veteran partnerships, law enforcement collaboration, and proactive campus safety initiatives.

Our Mission

At the heart of the organization is a simple belief:

Dogs bring us together and change our lives for the better.

Working dogs belong on campuses nationwide — they have real and immediate impact and build trust, connection, and peace of mind for the communities they serve.

Kids Best Friends was founded in 2022 with a mission rooted in service, protection, and the extraordinary bond between working dogs and the people they serve.

For more than 22 years, founder Caitlin Malone has been an advocate for the impact dogs can have in the lives of others. Her journey began by certifying her own therapy dog to volunteer in special needs classrooms and at the Veterans Hospital, where she witnessed firsthand the comfort, connection, and healing that working dogs can provide.

That lifelong passion ultimately evolved into Kids Best Friends — a nonprofit dedicated to helping schools and community programs access professionally trained working dog teams that enhance safety while creating positive and meaningful engagement within campus communities.

Today, Kids Best Friends proudly works with and employs veterans who previously served overseas alongside their military K9 partners. Their experience, discipline, and commitment to service bring an exceptional level of professionalism and purpose to the mission.

An important part of our mission is building strong partnerships with law enforcement and the broader working dog community. Kids Best Friends works alongside highly respected law enforcement and special operations military K9 trainers who help facilitate, guide, and support the development of our teams serving schools and community safety programs. These partnerships help ensure our programs maintain exceptional operational standards, ongoing training, and real-world preparedness.

Through full-time K9 placements, sponsored campus service programs, and ongoing training support for existing teams, Kids Best Friends is committed to making proactive school safety more accessible, sustainable, and community-focused.

Our Values

Service

We are driven by a commitment to protect and serve schools, students, and communities.

Partnership

We believe meaningful impact is created through collaboration with schools, veterans, law enforcement professionals, trainers, donors, and community leaders.

Integrity

We are driven by a commitment to protect and serve schools, students, and communities.

Compassion

Working dogs create not only security, but connection, comfort, and trust within the communities they serve.

"As a handler, and now a mother, keeping children safe is my number one goal, and I will be able to do that now while also providing students with a positive source to look forward to every day at school."

— Ashley W.
"The positive feedback from students, parents, and faculty has been overwhelming, and it’s clear that having a dog on campus is making a difference…"

— Caleb W.
"Kids Best Friends goes above and beyond with their rigorous training programs, fostering a strong bond between the dogs and their handlers... Their work highlights the importance of K9 security in schools, making them safer and more nurturing places for our children to learn and grow."

— Jessica S.
Lucy, the security school dog, has become an integral part of our children's school day… Lucy's presence at the school has brought a sense of security and comfort to our kids, making their learning environment even more welcoming.”

— Brittany G.

Latest News & Updates

Featured

Kids Best Friends Launches Mission to Enhance School Safety with Highly Trained K9 Security Teams

Kids Best Friends is making strides in protecting students by deploying dual-purpose working dogs and handlers to campuses.

About Kids Best Friends

Our Mission

Our Values

Service

Partnership

Integrity

Compassion

"As a handler, and now a mother, keeping children safe is my number one goal, and I will be able to do that now while also providing students with a positive source to look forward to every day at school."

"The positive feedback from students, parents, and faculty has been overwhelming, and it’s clear that having a dog on campus is making a difference…"

"Kids Best Friends goes above and beyond with their rigorous training programs, fostering a strong bond between the dogs and their handlers... Their work highlights the importance of K9 security in schools, making them safer and more nurturing places for our children to learn and grow."

Lucy, the security school dog, has become an integral part of our children's school day… Lucy's presence at the school has brought a sense of security and comfort to our kids, making their learning environment even more welcoming.”

Latest News & Updates