Animal-Assisted Programs bring Pawsitivity’

In 2023 we first introduced a new school initiative to support the health and well-being of students in our Northside community. Our Head of Middle School, Mrs Fiona Long, initially completed specialised training with her dog Scout as a human-canine team and have thoroughly enjoyed engaging with Next Steps Kindy, Prep, Junior School and Secondary students alike over the last two years. More recently, Fiona has been studying a Certificate IV in Animal Behaviour & Training, which is the highest qualification currently available for a dog trainer in Australia.

We are excited about the future posisibilities for Animal-Assisted Programs here at the College. Animal-Assisted Programs incorporates Animal-Assisted Therapy when there is a therapist present, Animal-Assisted Learning/Education when there is a learning goal, and Animal-Assisted Actvities when there is a more generalised community or wellbeing focus. 

Scout, and any other animal used in our Animal-Assisted Programs on campus, is assessed for a suitable temperament, an appropriate level of manners and impulse control to be deemed suitable to work with children within a school environment. In addition, our handlers have demonstrated appropriate animal handling skills and awareness of animal welfare topics to be a proficient handler. 

Scout is a purebred Lagotto Romagnolo (Italian Water Dog). She loves people of all ages and enjoys being patted and making new friends. Her breed is considered low/no shedding which can support her engagement with people with allergies or sensitivities. Mrs Long owns several Lagotti and enjoys the training process.

We thank you for your ongoing support and look forward to sharing some exciting new ventures in this space at Northside Christian College in the near future.