Mallory & Thistle
Not all superheroes wear capes
Freedom Service Dogs’ (FSD) facility dogs are expertly trained to support mental health and public safety professionals working in settings where comfort, emotional connection, and therapeutic support can make a difference throughout an entire community. School Resource Officer (SRO) Mallory is one of those professionals.
Mallory was born and raised in Littleton, Colorado, and has been with the Littleton Police Department for 11 years where she now serves as an SRO at a Littleton high school. She is an important resource for the students, staff members, and families within her school and the Littleton community.
To enrich her work, she was matched with facility dog Thistle in June 2026 to help build rapport with youth and the community, as well as provide therapeutic support to those in need. By performing tasks, such as deep pressure therapy, Thistle works alongside Mallory to make a Newfoundland-sized difference.
We had the chance to catch up with Mallory to learn more about her partnership with Thistle and how she hopes he will make a difference as they begin their first school year together.
Q: Tell us about yourself and your career journey. What led to your work as an SRO, and what do you love about working with youth?
A: My dad was in law enforcement for 31 years, and growing up in that environment, I knew it was something that I also wanted to do. I loved hearing his stories, watching the things he did, and hearing about the changes and impact he made in people’s lives. As I got older, I started going on ride-alongs with him, and I really realized how much I loved it.
My parents encouraged me to get a degree, so I started toward a career in the medical field. When I got into orientation for nursing school, I realized that my heart just wasn’t in it because I was still thinking about law enforcement. I ended up getting my Bachelor’s degree in human services with an emphasis in at-risk youth and applied for the police department in Littleton where I have been for the last 11 years now.
I then started my role as a SRO. I enjoy working with kids and making sure the kids who are struggling are getting the resources they need. It’s really nice to watch the students grow and mature throughout the school year. I love building relationships with them so they feel they can come talk to me and be comfortable having conversations.
Q: Before Thistle came into your life, what needs did you see in your school and community that made you think a facility dog could help?
A: Our school has two programs for kids with disabilities and those who have severe social and emotional needs. When I first started there, we had a couple kids who got dysregulated easily, and when that happened, they escalated physically and verbally. The first encounter I had with one of them, it became an all-day event trying to get them back to their baseline so they could go back to class. I saw the number of faculty who had to help, including myself, which took attention away from them being able to teach and support other students. I wanted to bring in a dog as additional support so that we could de-escalate these situations a lot easier, faster, and without as much staff support.
I knew that the dog could be a good way to motivate students to come to school and saw so many opportunities where I felt a facility dog could be a good tool. I’ve also had instances where there’s kids who are so shut down, but when you bring a dog out for them to pet and talk to, they forget there’s a barrier with law enforcement and are more comfortable reaching out to me.
And for the community, we respond to a lot of calls where there are deaths or traumatic situations, and the loved ones are upset. Now, I can bring Thistle out to distract them through that process and help them calm down and feel better. I think there’s a lot of opportunities to use a dog to help build a more positive association with law enforcement and to calm people down when they need it most. Just having Thistle around really breaks those walls down a bit.
Q: You and Thistle are one the very first SRO/facility dog team in Littleton, CO! What excited you about bringing this kind of support to your school and community?
A: I have good rapport with the kids, but by having a big friendly face, it helps build rapport between students, staff, and even some of the parents with law enforcement. We have gone to several events within the city, and there’s so many people that want to approach us, pet him, and talk to us. He’s a great relationship builder.
Thistle makes people happier and feel more calm, so I anticipate that he will be an amazing contribution to the school.
Q: FSD trains Labradors, golden retrievers, and crosses of the two, but Thistle is a Newfoundland and golden retriever cross who joined our program from another organization as a puppy. You had met a few dogs in our program as potential matches for you but ultimately connected with Thistle most. What about him let you know that he was “the one”?
A: There was an instant connection where I was drawn to him and his sweet face. He just had such a great personality, and I think it’s just his calming demeanor. There was just something about him. It was love at first sight.
He also looks so different from a typical police dog, so I knew it would open a lot of conversations with people and a chance for me to educate people on how he, as a facility dog, can help other people. I knew his big fluffy face would make him more approachable.
Q: What do you hope students and members of the community gain from having you and Thistle as a resource?
A: I hope students and community members view us as a resource in any situation. We’re showing people that members of law enforcement are human as well, and we’re happy to bring Thistle around to be there for people and talk to us. We’re here to make people feel better if they’re not having a good day, and people can come to me too and I’ll get them the resources they need.
Q: You and Thistle have only been together for a few months, but it’s clear that you already have such an incredible bond. How have you spent the summer preparing for your first school year together?
A: Thistle has been coming to work with me everyday that I’ve been on patrol this summer. He greets all my coworkers and has come with me to a few community events. I’ve also brought him out to death investigations so he can comfort family members of those who have been found deceased.
I had a kid who was really struggling, so I brought Thistle out. The kid was instantly drawn to him and started opening up to me about the issues he was having.
Q: What are some of the moments or situations where you think Thistle will make the biggest difference?
A: We have some kids who really struggle with regulating their nervous systems and higher stress situations can be difficult for them. I’m hoping and excited to see how using Thistle will help bring them back to their normal quicker. What used to be an all-day event, I’m hoping we can cut it down to an hour or two.
I also think we can be a good resource for the kids who are going through something or experiencing stress. By having Thistle there to help make the mood more positive and take a step back, we can talk and decompress and come up with a game plan to make it better.
Q: After going through the placement process and seeing the work that goes into training these dogs, what do you wish more people understood about FSD and the impact these partnerships have?
A: I don’t think people understand that Thistle isn’t just a dog coming to school because people want to love on him. That’s part of it, but he’s trained to do tasks and is a serious working dog. Even though he’s not a specific service dog for me, he has tasks he can do for others that benefits them. I’d like more people to know that there’s so much training that goes into these dogs, and they’re not just pets that we bring to work.
He’s not just here to be loved on, he’s a true facility dog that performs tasks when he’s cued. He’s a $50,000 dog and he has a very important job.
Q: If you could share one message with those who make partnerships like yours and Thistle’s possible, what would you say?
A: The biggest thing is thank you! People don’t realize how much of an impact these dogs have, even if it seems small. Having Thistle around changes people’s day-to-day, so for me, I am so thankful for those who have made it possible for us to make other’s lives better.
Facility dog teams like Mallory and Thistle make a difference, and so can you! Leave paw prints on our mission and help us raise, train, and partner more dogs like Thistle by giving a gift of any amount today.
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Published 10/13/26
Contact Erin Conley at [email protected] for all media inquiries.