——— Progressive Animal Wellbeing Support
The PAWS Program
——— Overview
Calm, confidence and connection.
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.
——— Meet the pack
The PAWS therapy dog team.
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.
MAC
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.
Shady
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.
PYCC
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.
FYNN
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.
Barney
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.
——— Program one
PAWS: Community Connect
A therapy-dog supported engagement program for young people with anxiety.
A gentle, low-pressure pathway into re-engagement.
Support in reducing anxiety in service-related environments.
Positive experiences that build confidence and coping skills.
Predictability and safety, enhanced by the calming presence of therapy dogs.
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.
——— 12-week program breakdown
Weeks 1–2 · Introduction & safety
Meet the therapy dog team and staff
Learn dog safety, welfare, and consent signals
Build rapport and trust through calm, low-pressure activities
Identify anxiety triggers and barriers to engagement
Begin setting personalised goals
Weeks 3–4 · Regulation & confidence building
Practise grounding and calming techniques with a therapy dog
Short visits to low-stress community settings (park, quiet library)
Introduce gentle exposure planning in collaboration with the young person
Explore which therapy dog is the best fit
Weeks 5–6 · Supported community exposure
Begin entering service-based environments (clinic foyers, GP waiting rooms)
Dog-supported practice of short stays in public or semi-public settings
Build tolerance for sensory inputs (sounds, people, movement)
Continue skill-building for emotional regulation
Weeks 7–8 · Appointment preparation
Practice appointment-related skills (check-ins, waiting, asking questions)
Attend mock or brief real appointments with therapy dog support
Continue exposure in varied locations depending on personal goals
Gradually increase independence while still supported by the dog
Weeks 9–10 · Transition toward therapy engagement
Dog-supported attendance at actual therapy, health, or school-based appointments
Begin reducing reliance on the dog for short periods, only if the young person is ready
Strengthen coping strategies, routines, and confidence in community settings
Small group option: social connection activities with therapy dogs
Weeks 11–12 · Consolidation & ongoing support
Review progress toward goals and celebrate achievements
Identify the therapy dog the young person feels most connected with
Develop a personalised transition plan into regular therapy or services
Ongoing option: the therapy dog continues attending future appointments
Final session focused on confidence-building, transition, and closure
——— Program two
PAWS: Canine Calm
Emotional wellbeing
Calm Corner sessions
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.
Drop-in wellbeing sessions
Emotional wellbeing
Improved team cohesion
Increased sense of belonging
Positive workplace culture
Buddy Dog system
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.
Reduced stress and tension
Improved mood
Increased feelings of calm and comfort
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.
Seasonal and event-based sessions
Sessions aligned with RUOK Day, Mental Health Week, end-of-term wellbeing celebrations, and “Paws & Pause” sessions during peak workload seasons.
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.
“Calm Break” workplace visits
Short, spontaneous visits to work areas during peak stress moments — after difficult client sessions, busy shifts, or major incidents.
Emotional wellbeing
Reduced emotional fatigue
Better emotional regulation
Regular opportunities for grounding and recovery
Therapy dogs at meetings
With staff consent, dogs attend team meetings, reflective practice, professional development days, and debriefs — reducing tension and fostering a calmer, more connected team culture.
Debrief & emotional reset support
Low-pressure debrief support with the therapy dog present after emotionally intensive situations. Not clinical debriefing — a grounding and recovery opportunity.
——— Safety & welfare
Safety for people and for our dogs.
All therapy dogs are trained and temperament-tested
The handler maintains oversight at all times
Participation is voluntary
Sessions are adapted to avoid overstimulation
Clear boundaries for interactions — no feeding, respectful handling
Dog welfare needs come first: rest breaks, quiet spaces, and choice