How animals, connection and a supportive community helped Nat discover what she was capable of.

When Nat first joined Happy Paws Happy Hearts (HPHH) in 2022, she was a high school student who loved animals but found social situations challenging.

Like many young people, school felt socially overwhelming and she often felt misunderstood by others and struggled to find meaningful connections where she could truly be herself. Nat also found change a challenge, where new environments and stepping outside of established routines felt dauting.

Walking into her first session was exciting, but also overwhelming. While Nat was excited by the opportunity to work with animals, she was also stepping far outside her comfort zone.

"It was quite nerve-wracking," Nat recalls. "It was a new environment; new people and I didn't know what to expect."

For her mother Anna, the decision to enrol Nat was driven by a simple hope: to find a place where her daughter's love of animals could become a bridge to connection.

"Nat has always had a deep love of animals," Anna says. "I was looking for something that combined that passion with an opportunity for social connection and building confidence in a supported, low-pressure environment. Happy Paws Happy Hearts felt like a natural fit."

At the time, Anna hoped the program would provide something beyond home and school.

"I wanted her to feel a sense of belonging somewhere outside of those spaces. I hoped the animals would give her a safe anchor while she navigated new social situations. Most of all, I hoped she would find her people."

In those early days, Nat relied heavily on familiar routines, familiar faces and the support of her mum, both knowing that confidence would take time.

Beginning in HPHH’s Intro to Handle program, where participants begin to build foundational animal handling skills in a shelter environment, Nat soon progressed through to the more advanced Handle program, and into her current Train Program, where she now works more independently with animals with the animals at RSPCA Brisbane’s Animal Care Campus, including those requiring specialised care and support.

Supported by Program Trainers, fellow participants and a menagerie of rescue animals, Nat slowly started stepping outside her comfort zone, developing the confidence to connect with others, try new experiences and discover strengths she didn't know she had. Looking back, Nat is proud to share the difference she’s noticed in herself.

"I've definitely grown in a lot of different ways," she says. "I never used to be as social. For one, I don't think I would have been able to sit here and do this interview openly sharing my experiences”. Nat also shares how she simply wouldn't have been confident or comfortable interacting in group environments or adapting to change, whether that's new trainers, changing schedules, new participants joining the program or the constant change which presents within animal shelter environments.

One of Nat’s Program Trainers, Sarah, comments the joy she has found watching Nat grow:

“It has been such a pleasure to watch Nat grow not only in her skills working with shelter animals, but importantly, her ability to connect with others and support her peers. Nat has taken every opportunity to learn new skills, and seeing her grow in her knowledge and confidence to work with shelter animals experiencing challenging behaviours is an accomplishment she should be so proud of.”

Anna echoes this, “Nat has grown from someone who needed scaffolding to someone who is building her own skills and pursuing her own goals within the program. Her willingness to step into new programs and start from scratch in building new friendships within a new group shows a confidence to take on challenge, and that did not come easily at first”, she shares.

Today, that growth extends well beyond the program itself. Nat has built the skills and confidence to work part-time as a self-employed dog walker, helping elderly residents in her neighbourhood, and is exploring future career pathways within the animal industry.

"I don't think I would have been able to do dog walking back then," she says. "It's very different walking somebody else's dog compared to your own."

*Nat in session working with rescue dog*

Through HPHH, Nat has built skills in animal training, understanding animal body language and behaviour, and how to safely handle dogs of all sizes and nature. But it's also helped with her confidence with people. “This job also requires interacting with new people and that's something I wouldn't have felt comfortable doing before."

One of Nat’s other Program Trainers, Leah, comments on how Nat has opened herself to experiencing new things.

“Nat has soared in the program! She is increasingly engaging in new experiences, including shelter activities, visiting nursing homes with animals during our HPHH Intergenerational program and animal training opportunities. Nat is always keen to learn something new and is exploring options for future pathways which work with animals. Her compassion for animals is evident in her animal handling; she strives to be ever-gentle and understanding of the animal's needs.”

For Anna, the change in her daughter's confidence has been impossible to miss.

"The shift in her confidence is the thing that stands out most," she says. "She is genuinely a different person in social settings."

One of the most significant changes has been Nat's growing independence.

"When Nat started at HPHH, she needed me there as a support person. Now she drives herself and walks in independently, with us only reconnecting at the end of the session”, Anna shares.

These steps towards independence haven’t happened overnight and are a tribute to the small yet consistent acts of courage from Nat over the years.

Those gradual opportunities to step outside her comfort zone without the support of Anna allowed Nat to build confidence while still knowing support was available when needed.

"Honestly, it has been one of the most moving things I have experienced as a parent" Anna says.

"You want your child to need you less. That's the goal. But watching it actually happen whether it was through initiating and sustaining conversations with others, forming friendships or building professional relationships with the Program Trainers, has been something else entirely."

She credits the program's structure, Program Trainers and of course, animals with helping make that transition possible.

"Happy Paws Happy Hearts gave her a space to practise independence in a way that felt safe. The structure is consistent and predictable, which gave her confidence to stretch."

"The Program Trainers are extraordinary. They are able to scaffold independence into sessions, so you don’t have to."

While the practical skills have been valuable, both Nat and Anna point to something even more important: connection.

Over the years, Nat has developed meaningful friendships at HPHH.

"It's my social place," Nat says. "You can have a terrible week and come here and people just understand. There's no judgement. I have also made friends who I keep in touch with outside of the session – that is something I definitely never expected to happen."

For Anna, the animals play a unique role in making those connections possible.

"Animals meet you where you are," she says. "There is no judgement, no expectation and no misreading of social cues."

"For someone building confidence in themselves and around others, that's everything."

The shared love of animals also creates an instant point of connection.

"It removes the awkwardness of small talk," Anna says. "Everyone already has something in common."

Nat echoes this sentiment.

"You all share something in common with the love of animals. It makes it easier to talk about something when you are around people who are different ages or just people you wouldn’t normally interact with."

Having once been the nervous new participant herself, Nat now finds herself taking on the role of a welcoming presence for others joining the program. Remembering how daunting those first sessions felt, she enjoys helping new participants feel comfortable and included. With the animals providing a natural connection point, Nat knows firsthand how a shared love of animals can make those first courageous conversations a little easier.

Of course, Nat's growth isn't just about her confidence and social connections. It's also about the skills she has built in animal training and the many special moments she holds close to her heart.

*The small Chihuahua Nat spent time with*

One of her proudest moments came through the Train program, where participants build a deeper understanding of animal behaviour and learn how to support shelter animals experiencing more timid, anxious or fearful behaviours. Working closely alongside animal care teams and HPHH Program Trainers, Nat has had the opportunity to help countless animals build confidence and trust in people as part of their journey towards adoption.

One experience that stands out involved spending time with a frightened Chihuahua that had hidden away from people. Nat chose to spend some time in this dog’s pen but rather than forcing interaction, Nat simply sat quietly nearby, allowing trust to develop at the dog's pace.

By the end of the session, the dog had fallen asleep on her lap.

"Going from being terrified of me to falling asleep on me was really special and its one of my favourite moments from my time at HPHH," she says.

More recently, Nat has enjoyed working alongside Kaylee, a one-year-old Kelpie x Bull Arab who is still very much in her puppy era. Full of enthusiasm and boundless energy, Kaylee has required extra support of animal care teams along with HPHH to develop important life skills such as impulse control, practising calm behaviours and learning when to switch off and relax.

For Nat, dogs like Kaylee highlight the important role participants play in supporting shelter animals on their journey towards adoption. Through the Train program, participants learn how to safely apply positive reinforcement training techniques and work with animals displaying a range of behaviours and training needs.

"I love working with dogs like Kaylee as you can really see the progress they make over time," Nat says. "They're always learning."

Each week, Nat and her fellow participants help dogs like Kaylee cope with the challenges of the shelter environment by providing opportunities for positive mental stimulation, enrichment and training. Whether it's practising calm behaviours, building focus around distractions or simply spending quality one-on-one time together, these interactions help animals who are experiencing higher levels of anxiety or frustration in shelter develop skills that allow them to put their best paw forward when meeting prospective adopters.

Nat shares how she connects with anxious and fearful animals because she understands what it feels like to be misunderstood.

"I know what it's like to be the person everybody looks at and thinks there's something wrong with you because they don't see what's happening behind the scenes," Nat says.

"It's the same with these dogs. We don't know what has brought them to the shelter or what they may have experienced in their past lives. All we see are the behaviours they're showing in that moment, like Kaylee when she jumps up from excitement. That can mean they're misunderstood by people who walk past them. I think that's why I connect with them so much."

That understanding has become one of her greatest strengths.

Today, after four years with HPHH, the program has become much more than an activity.

"Over time, Happy Paws has grown to be my safe space," Nat says. "It's something I look forward to every week."

For Anna, the impact has extended beyond her daughter.

"It started as something for Nat but is something that has had a significant impact for our family," she says.

"It has given Nat a community and the fact that she chooses to still attend and invest in it tells you everything about what it means to her."

When asked what she would say to another parent considering the program, Anna's answer is simple.

"Do it. Don't overthink it. The environment is warm, professional and genuinely person-centred. Your child will be seen."

“Connection and community do not happen automatically for everyone; some people need a supported pathway in and HPHH creates that pathway without making it feel like a program. It feels like belonging.”

For Nat, the journey has ultimately been one of discovering what she is capable of.

"I've learned that I'm more capable than what I thought I was."

Nat’s journey is a testament to her courage, determination and willingness to step outside her comfort zone to try something new. By embracing each challenge and owning her growth journey, she has shown an incredible level of independence as she has grown into a confident young woman.

We couldn’t be prouder to have provided a space where Nat has been able to take those brave steps and discover what she is capable of. It would also be remiss not to acknowledge the incredible impact Nat has on the rescue animals she supports each week. With a big heart for those who need a little extra love, Nat makes a meaningful difference, and we are so grateful that she continues to show up with compassion, commitment and heart each week.