Creating Safer Schools
with Working Dogs
Our Mission
Our mission is to place dual purpose working dogs and handlers in schools to mitigate potential gun violence while also therapeutically promoting a tangible sense of safety and peace of mind for the kids they support and protect every day.
Our holistic and solution oriented approach to school security influences everything we do from the selection of our dogs and handlers to their specialized training and certification process, to the continued support and mentorship of our teams.
We are dedicated to eradicating gun violence in schools by providing effective and efficient change for physical campus security, with lasting positive impact on the mental health of the students we protect.
It is our honor and our privilege to protect your kids and make schools safer with Kids Best Friends. Thank you for joining us in being a proactive part of the solution.
– Caitlin Malone, Founder, Kids Best Friends
There is no time to waste when innocent lives are in balance. We believe that the most immediate and impactful changes we can make for school safety are within our communities and schools themselves with Kids Best Friends.
Our Approach to Proactive Protection for Schools
Our dual-purpose school safety dogs will proactively detect unauthorized firearms, and should a shooting-related crisis occur, they will respond on the scene in a matter of seconds which will save lives.
With boots and paws on the ground, we offer a real security presence on campuses led by our highly trained, loyal, kid-loving guardians with four legs, a wet nose, and a wagging tail.
Our handler and dog teams provide services customized to each school’s needs. The team’s daily security tasks may include:
greeting students, parents, and guests as they arrive on campus
patrolling the parking lots and campus
checking lockers in hallways and gym facilities
classroom checks
working school assemblies, sports games, and performances
Why School Safety Dogs?
It’s not just about what our amazing dogs do, it’s about what they represent: proactive protection, daily vigilance, peace of mind, safety, security, loyalty and love.
Working dogs are highly effective at boosting morale and creating connection. In schools, specially trained dogs provide a sense of safety and security for students, as well as serve as a comforting presence. Kids Best Friends are a real and reliable solution as protectors and integral members of the school community.
Our Team
Our team is made up of passionate and experienced individuals from diverse backgrounds, all committed to making a difference in the safety and well-being of our children. We are as invested in enhancing the security of your students and schools as you are, and we know that in today’s world kids need and deserve to see themselves protected. That is what drives us and why we wholeheartedly believe in our solution.
Kids Best Friends is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 2022 by Caitlin Malone. Caitlin has partnered with an incredible team of dog trainers, law enforcement professionals, veterans, K9 handlers and security specialists to create this custom program for working dogs in schools.
Michael Coughlin and Colton White lead canine matching and placement, handler training, and school onboarding. They have decades of experience and expertise bringing the best out of each dog and handler they work with.
Caitlin Malone & Aiya