The Progressive Youth Care PAWS Program — Pathways with Animal Wellbeing Support — is our overarching therapeutic wellbeing package designed to support both young people and staff through purposeful, structured interactions with trained therapy dogs.
PAWS brings together two specialised programs: PAWS: Community Connect, supporting children and young people experiencing anxiety, disengagement, or barriers to attending appointments, schooling, and community activities; and PAWS: Canine Calm, enhancing staff wellbeing, reducing stress, and helping prevent burnout in emotionally demanding work environments.
Each program is grounded in trauma-informed, youth-centred, and welfare-focused practice, ensuring that both humans and animals experience safety, respect, and positive connection.
A group of gentle, playful, and intuitive companions who help create calm, confidence, and connection wherever they go.
Labradoodle
MAC is one half of the Labradoodle brothers. He's big, black, goofy, and full of personality. MAC has a knack for making people smile just by walking into a room, and his gentle, clumsy charm helps break down anxiety and create instant comfort.
Labradoodle
MAC's brother, PYCC, is all about warmth and closeness. He loves cuddles and is happiest when curled up next to someone who needs a moment of calm. His soft presence is grounding for young people who feel nervous or overwhelmed.
Moodle
Barney is a burst of happy energy wrapped in a tiny, fluffy package. He's enthusiastic, affectionate, and always ready for a snuggle. Barney's playful spirit makes him perfect for building confidence and engaging even the shyest young people.
Cavoodle
Shady is the smallest member of the team — a red, curly Cavoodle with a gentle soul. She is calm, sweet-natured, and ideal for young people or staff who may be unsure about larger dogs. Shady brings comfort through soft, quiet presence.
Therapy dog in training
FYNN is the newest member of the PAWS pack. Brown, playful, and curious, he's currently learning the ropes with enthusiasm. FYNN brings a sense of fun and possibility, and he'll soon join the team in supporting young people and staff through structured, supervised sessions.
One dog will not be the right fit for every young person or every staff member. With different sizes, temperaments, energies, and interaction styles, our therapy dog team ensures that every individual can be matched with the dog that feels safest, most soothing, and most supportive for them.
A therapy-dog supported engagement program for young people with anxiety.
Community Connect was developed, led, and overseen by registered social workers, ensuring that all activities are grounded in evidence-informed, ethical, and trauma-aware practice. Their professional oversight guarantees that the use of therapy dogs is integrated safely and purposefully to support emotional regulation, engagement, and wellbeing.
The program runs over 12 weeks and is delivered in both 1:1 and small-group formats, depending on what best supports each young person's comfort and needs. Sessions take place in a range of community settings — libraries, GP offices, parks, community hubs, and other familiar environments — gradually building the young person's confidence in real-world spaces.
On completing the 12-week program, young people have the option to continue receiving support from the therapy dog team, who can accompany or meet them before counselling, GP visits, mental health reviews, or other appointments.
Who it's for
Children and young people aged 8–18 who experience anxiety that significantly impacts their ability to engage with everyday environments and essential services — including school refusal, difficulty attending appointments, social anxiety, risk of disengagement, and neurodivergent young people with sensory or emotional regulation needs.
Canine Calm improves staff wellbeing and psychological safety by incorporating trained therapy dogs into workplace routines. The program aims to reduce stress, strengthen workplace morale, and help prevent burnout — particularly for staff working in high-pressure, emotionally demanding environments.
Community services work often involves emotional load, complex caseloads, and exposure to trauma. Therapy dog programs are shown to reduce stress, improve mood, increase social connection, and promote emotional resilience.
A dedicated onsite space with comfortable seating, low lighting, and scheduled therapy dog times — a predictable sanctuary for grounding, reducing overwhelm, and supporting emotional resets.
Staff are matched with a regular therapy dog buddy for weekly or fortnightly check-ins, consistent emotional support, and a reliable calming presence during high-stress periods.
With staff consent, dogs attend team meetings, reflective practice, professional development days, and debriefs — reducing tension and fostering a calmer, more connected team culture.
Weekly or fortnightly drop-ins where staff can interact with the dog, talk casually, or take a short walk — supporting regulation and a break from high-demand tasks.
Short, spontaneous visits to work areas during peak stress moments — after difficult client sessions, busy shifts, or major incidents.
Low-pressure debrief support with the therapy dog present after emotionally intensive situations. Not clinical debriefing — a grounding and recovery opportunity.
Sessions aligned with RUOK Day, Mental Health Week, end-of-term wellbeing celebrations, and “Paws & Pause” sessions during peak workload seasons.
