When Gabby first joined Happy Paws Happy Hearts’ (HPHH) programs held at Hunter Valley Animal Facility and Rehoming Centre in January 2021, she was looking for a reason to leave the house and become more engaged in her community.

"I was pretty much a homebody," Gabby recalls. "I was going to work and then coming home."

What began as an opportunity to spend time with animals soon became a pathway to greater independence, purpose and personal growth.

Over the past five years, Gabby has progressed through several HPHH programs, including Handle, Train and the Explore Employment Pathways Program. Through her weekly participation in the programs, Gabby has developed practical animal care and training skills, strengthened her communication and confidence, and built the independence needed to pursue meaningful opportunities in the animal care industry.

Today, along with secured employment, Gabby enjoys volunteering at the Hunter Valley Animal Facility and Rehoming Centre each week, supporting some of the facility's most vulnerable and fearful dogs.

One of those dogs was Daisy.

Building Trust One Small Step at a Time

When Daisy arrived at the shelter, she was extremely timid and withdrawn. She rarely left the safety of her kennel and had limited interactions with people, behaviours which unfortunately can have an impact on adoption prospects.

Over several months, Gabby dedicated countless hours to helping Daisy feel safe.

Rather than rushing interactions, Gabby used the animal care and training skills she built in HPHH programs to recognise Daisy's body language and work at a pace that respected her boundaries. She would sit quietly outside Daisy's kennel, avoid eye contact and allowed Daisy to choose when and how to engage with her.

Initially, Daisy would only approach treats placed at a distance. Gradually, she began venturing closer, accepting Gabby's presence and eventually interacting through the kennel fence.

Months later, those small moments of trust progressed into walks, training opportunities and positive experiences outside the kennel.

The breakthrough came when Daisy and Gabby were together in the HPHH training room.

Gabby noticed Daisy repeatedly walking between her bed and where Gabby was sitting across the room. Again, drawing on her skills, Gabby recognised Daisy was communicating something important.

"I realised she wanted me to sit beside her," Gabby said.

When Gabby cautiously moved closer, Daisy invited further interaction by moving toward her. For the first time since meeting months earlier, Daisy accepted gentle physical contact.

"It was the first time I had ever petted her."

For some, this may seem like a small milestone. For Daisy, who represents the unfortunate story of many dogs in shelter, it represented months of rehabilitation, trust-building and emotional growth.

Outcomes for Daisy

Through consistent, patient interactions with Gabby and the support of the shelter team, Daisy developed:

Increased confidence around people

Improved socialisation and trust

Greater willingness to leave her kennel and engage with new environments

Increased participation in training activities

Improved readiness for future adoption opportunities

HPHH Hunter Valley Team Leader, Nina reflected on Gabby’s impact to Daisy’s growth:

"If Gabby wasn’t here giving her that calming presence and touch week-by-week, she'd still be in her kennel hiding, shivering and not coming out. What Gabby has done here at the shelter is incredible."

Outcomes for Gabby

While Daisy was learning to trust again, Gabby was developing skills that would positively impact her own future.

Through her progression across the HPHH program pathway, Gabby developed:

Greater independence and community participation

Improved communication and relationship-building skills

Enhanced confidence in unfamiliar and ever-changing situations

Practical animal care and training skills

Increased emotional regulation and patience

Vocational skills that supported employment readiness

A pathway into ongoing volunteering and paid employment

Gabby credits much of her growth to the lessons she learned working alongside shelter animals.

"I have learned how to interact and communicate with animals, the patience you need and how to build their trust and that bond before anything will happen."

These skills now extend beyond the program environment. Gabby volunteers several times each week, sitting with fearful dogs and helping them build confidence through the same techniques she learned as a participant.

Creating Positive Change for People and Paws

Gabby's journey demonstrates the unique win-win impact of Happy Paws Happy Hearts programs for both people and paws.

As participants build confidence, independence and employability, rescue animals receive additional socialisation, training and enrichment that supports their welfare and adoption outcomes.

Daisy's story represents one of many, and highlights how participant-led interactions directly contribute to the wellbeing, rehabilitation and adoptability of rescue animals, not only at Hunter Valley Animal Facility and Rehoming Centre, but eight other animal shelter and training facilities HPHH partners with.

Since commencing programs at HVAFARC in 2021, HPHH participants have delivered more than 72,921 hours of care, socialisation and training to support rescue animals, with over 100,000 animal interactions in sessions.

As one of the longest-serving participants in our programs in the Hunter region, Gabby has helped countless animals find their way to loving homes. Her dedication has not only transformed the lives of the animals she's worked with, but her own life as well.

“I don't like taking credit for the achievements we see with the animals. For me, I feel like it takes away from the animals themselves. Some people say, 'they wouldn't be where they are now without you', and that may be true, but they had to put their trust in me blindly before I could get them to that point. Ultimately, they've done a lot more work compared to what I had to do”, Gabby reflected.

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"The progress made with Daisy is probably something I am most proud of."

Gabby emphasised how coming to HPHH and even the volunteer work is different for her. “It feels like you are coming to work but I actually want to be here, and I enjoy it. Even if I have a day off, I will try and come in just so I can interact with the animals and be a familiar face for them.”

Her story is a powerful example of how meaningful human-animal connections can create lasting change for both hearts and paws.