Wellbeing dogs
Exclusive to The Unconditional Love Foundation, our animal-assisted wellbeing program connects young people and adults in need with our wellbeing dogs in classrooms and the community.
Underpinned by trauma-informed principles and practices, your students, clients, staff and/or carers have the opportunity to spend quality, fully supervised time engaging with our dogs.
Through structured, age-appropriate activities and experiences as guided by our wellbeing team, our program is designed to build connections, boost confidence and bring joy, aiming to support:
- Positive emotional and mental health
- Strong relationships and social connections
- Confidence and communication
- Concentration, self-regulation and learning ability
- Compassion and inter-species empathy
“School students who attend our program tell us they feel happier after engaging with our wellbeing dogs. They tell us having our dogs in their classroom helps them feel more relaxed and gives them something to look forward to.”
Leah Munnery
Wellbeing Program Manager
Far more than a pat, although that is a wonderful place to start
The wellbeing benefits of connecting with animals are profound.
A happy, healthy relationship between people and dogs especially, can reduce stress and provide a sense of connection and belonging.
Our program delivers a range of proactive and responsive animal-assisted interventions to support the emotional, social and mental wellbeing of young people and adults in need. Wellbeing dogs boost joy, create calm and invoke empathy, while encouraging emotional literacy, communication, self-confidence and self-regulation - all with a wag.
Far more than a pat, we structure our program according to the needs of participants and have an array of engaging and age-appropriate activities that can be conducted indoors and out. Whether it is learning about animal needs, sharing mindful moments or making animal craft, our wellbeing dogs are always present, creating an atmosphere of joy and calm.
We have been fortunate to partner with a number of clients for several years. Some of the groups we have supported include:
- Children experiencing disadvantage
- Primary school students experiencing school refusal
- School children with developmental and learning difficulties
- Students experiencing emotional and mental health challenges
- Youths experiencing social disconnection and isolation
- University students experiencing acute stress during exam periods
- Young adults experiencing drug and alcohol dependence
- Older adults experiencing grief and loneliness
Through our work in education and community settings we also support First Nations, migrant and refugee communities, those experiencing family violence and people living with disability.
Discover our program
Creating real impact
In the 2023-24 financial year, we connected close to 1,500 young people and adults with our wellbeing dogs in classrooms and community groups across Victoria.
