School Safety
Statistics & Research

The Need for a New Solution

The statistics are alarming. Guns are now the leading cause of death in children and teens in America. In 2022, the number of people shot (fatally and wounded) on K-12 school property was 332—the highest it has ever been, and it continues to trend upwards.(1) Shockingly, 43.2% of these shootings were perpetrated by students attending the school. It is clear that what we are currently doing for campus security and crisis response is not working. It is time for a new solution.

The Data Speaks for Itself

The situational data of K-12 school shootings shows that out of all school shootings, the highest rate of incidents situationally (782 total incidents) was due to escalation.(2) Encouragingly, hospitals and schools with working dogs (detection and protection) report that the presence of their dogs and handlers is inextricably correlated with de-escalation of incidents situationally.(3) This means that just the presence of Kids Best Friends on campuses would very likely decrease gun-related incidents as it pertains to situational escalation at school.

Our dual-purpose dogs will proactively detect unauthorized firearms on campuses, and should a shooting-related crisis take place, they will respond on the scene in a matter of seconds which will save lives. When looking at the data around the relation of the shooter to the school, nearly 43% of school shootings are enacted by a current student,(4) which supports that having preemptive canine detection on campus for unwarranted firearms would likely deter, prevent and intercept student gun possession. Correspondingly, nearly 70% of K-12 school shootings result in the perpetrator fleeing. Split almost down the middle, 32.6% of shooters escaped, while 38.8% fled and were eventually apprehended. Kids Best Friends canines will easily reduce this statistic with highly effective and swift apprehension.

The Effectiveness of Dogs

Dogs have been protecting and defending humans since the beginning of recorded history. They have proved to be incredible allies in war and public service, and they are loyal companions to many of us across the globe. Studies show that dogs are also effective at boosting morale and creating connections in practically every setting they show up in. At Kids Best Friends, we recognize the incredible value of dogs, and we are excited to bring their proven effectiveness to school campuses.

A Kids Best Friends canine can close 40 yards in on average 3 seconds. Should a crisis take place that jeopardizes the safety of the school and its kids, our teams will assess and respond faster than any outside law enforcement can which will save lives and buy time. The dog’s bark, speed, and threat-neutralization tactics will distract and intimidate even the most calculated criminal. Lives have been lost over and over again with the agonizing time it took for responders to get to a campus in crisis, or take action once there. Kids Best Friends on your campus will not only deter people with bad intentions but be the first on the scene faster than any outside help can respond.