From Zoomies to Zen: Hector and Joel’s Meaningful Moment

At Happy Paws Happy Hearts (HPHH), some of the key benefits of partnering with rescue shelters to run our programs is the opportunity to provide rescue animals with more time out of their kennels, providing additional mental and physical stimulation, enriching their days, and offering valuable socialisation with people.

At RSPCA Wellcamp, Toowoomba, the freshly revived and upgraded agility yard is one of the favourite spots for participants to practice socialisation and training with the shelter dogs. Here, pups can zoom through tyres, run over ramps, and navigate obstacles—letting them stretch their legs and enjoy the thrill of play outside of their kennels.

These high-energy sessions are not only great fun for the dogs but also provide valuable opportunities for participants to engage in real-life animal training, and handling.

Sometimes, all that excitement means the pups need a moment to calm down and regulate their energy—another opportunity for participants to learn and adapt their skills, and this is where connection truly shines.

During a recent Tuesday morning Intro to Handle session, Hector the dog chose Joel (HPHH participant) as his safe space after having a big zoomies session and exerting his energy.

Sitting calmly in between Joel’s legs, Hector soaked up the gentle Tellington T-Touch strokes—a common animal training technique used to help animals relax and reduce stress. The photo captures their bond perfectly: Hector relaxed and content in Joel’s space, with Joel’s attentive and reassuring posture.

Senior Program Trainer, Emily reflected, “It was such a lovely moment to see Joel engaging with Hector, offering calm and comfort after all that energy”. Moments like these remind us of the powerful connections that grow between participants and the animals they care for, even through the smallest of gestures.