Dogs trained in the Hunter are helping kids in classrooms and offices across the state.
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Kaysadale Farm, a training, boarding and grooming facility for labradoodles at Allandale, produce the therapy dogs.
One of their latest graduates is Harry, a seven-month-old labradoodle bound for a child psychologist’s office at Sydney’s Childrens Hospital.
Harry is part of the growing use of therapy dogs across the state. Similar jobs see the dogs take up education aid roles at schools.
“They’re mainly children’s dogs, a lot of these kids they help feel like they don’t have a friend and no one loves them,” Kaysadale Farm’s Samantha Kay said.
“If they’re self-conscious about speaking or reading in front of people, they often feel more comfortable speaking to the dog,” added colleague Kelly Lancaster.
Samantha explained that the labradoodles calm temperate made them ideal for their role which often sees them spend hours at a time in offices or classrooms.
She also said that parting with their pooches was never easy.
“People often say, how do you part with them? I won’t lie, we often cry all the way home. But the difference they make to these kids’ lives is extraordinary,” she said.
