Make a donation here!

Therapy Dogs

Sometimes we all need some extra love.

Auspiced by the Churchill Neighbourhood Centre

Auspice Agreement

COMING SOON

About

The Churchill Neighbourhood Centre Therapy Dog Program provides supervised interactions with our beloved dogs to foster connection, inclusion, and wellbeing.

Our therapy dogs offer vital support to community members navigating trauma, anxiety, mental ill-health, isolation, and disability-related barriers. By providing a calm, non-judgmental presence, our dogs help lower physiological stress, provide grounding sensory relief, and act as a social bridge that breaks down barriers to participation. They turn the Centre into a warm, inclusive environment where everyone feels safe, welcome, and valued.

History

The program's foundation was built by Lilly, a gentle Bernese Mountain Dog who made history as the first certified therapy dog in Australia to work full-time in an early learning centre. Working alongside Nathan for many years across early learning and community settings, Lilly became an irreplaceable part of the CNC family. Following her passing in 2025, her legacy of unconditional love and comfort continues to shape the program today.

What to expect

What to Expect

When you visit the Churchill Neighbourhood Centre, interactions with our therapy dogs are always relaxed, supervised, and completely voluntary. Here is what you can expect from our program day-to-day:

Meeting Our Dogs: Daisy and Bee Both Daisy ("Daisy Dukes") and our newest puppy, Bee ("Bumble Bee"), are current presences at the Centre! Daisy is fully operational and actively carries on our program's important work, while Bee is currently in her training phase, working alongside Daisy to gradually gain experience and learn the routines of a busy community space.

Depending on the activity and the needs of our participants, our dogs will:

Spend quality time with community members.
Join social groups and community activities to encourage positive social interaction.
Sit quietly with individuals who need comforting, non-intrusive company.
Participate in reading and learning activities to reduce anxiety.
Help create a consistently calm and welcoming atmosphere.

The wellbeing of our dogs is just as important as the experience of participants. They can choose to walk away, take a break or return to their quiet space whenever they need to.

Therapy dogs provide social and community support. They are not assistance dogs, and the program does not replace professional medical, psychological or counselling support.