Latest news

With record numbers of high school children feeling disengaged from school, reengagement programs like the Righteous Pups Wellness Warriors Program, are helping parents, and secondary schools, address this complex issue; and guiding teens to find purpose, hope and enthusiasm for their future.

That’s why the Agnico Eagle Australia Community Partnership Program (AEACPP) has once again partnered with Righteous Pups – as co-sponsors with the Newsboys Foundation – to offer the Wellness Warriors program to students from Bendigo secondary schools, who have been recognised as being educationally at risk.

A continuing partnership

“Our partnership with Righteous Pups has been ongoing for a number of years, and we are amazed by the fantastic way in which they are able to integrate the training of assistance dogs for children with autism, with helping at-risk youth reengage in their lives and communities through the powerful effects of animal assisted therapy,” said Felicia Binks, Director Environment and Government Relations, Agnico Eagle Australia.

The AEACPP has previously funded Righteous Pups’ Tightrope Program (which helped 19 children with social anxiety get back to school after Covid) and the Empathetic Leadership Program at Lockwood Primary School (which had Grade 5 and 6 students working with the dogs to prepare them for the transition to secondary school).

The Wellness Warriors Program has been around since 2003 and aims to assist secondary school students, who are going to school, but not actively engaging – whether because of a disability, mental health or behavioural challenges – to rediscover their purpose through participating in experiential learning with the dogs.

“This year will see up to 60 students commit one day a week to participate in the program,” explains Jo Baker, Managing Director of Righteous Pups.

A non-confrontational approach

Students are collected from their school and transported to the Righteous Pups facility where they are then paired with the trainers and their dogs and are involved in the process of training the dogs.

“The approach we take is non-confrontational and focuses on helping the students make the connection between what the dogs are learning in their training, what the students are learning from participating in the training, and how that can be applied in their every day lives,” Jo continued.

Using Animal Assisted Therapy, the program participants get to work on their empathy, resilience, sharing and caregiving capabilities, with the ultimate goal being to see students once again consistently applying themselves to their education.

“Students participate in the program as long as they need to, until they are ready to return to their normal curriculum; and over the years we have had great success with this approach,” enthuses Jo.

“We are very privileged to have an organisation like Righteous Pups in Bendigo and commend the invaluable work that they do, along with their beautiful pups, to support children from all backgrounds to overcome challenges and reach their potential,” concluded Felicia.