Grant helps to deliver more happy paws and happier hearts
Animal therapy charity, Happy Paws Happy Hearts is gearing up to support more people experiencing anxiety and social isolation thanks to a $511,860 grant as part of the Queensland Governments’ Community Infrastructure Investment Partnership program.
Happy Paws Happy Hearts Co-founder and CEO, Zoe Black says the grant will accelerate an upgrade of the facilities at RSPCA’s Wacol Animal Care Centre to allow for expanded programs.
“With this funding, Happy Paws Happy Hearts will be able to dramatically increase the number of people and animals we support through our programs in Brisbane and Ipswich regions.”
“For the community, it means we are connecting with more people who would otherwise be socially isolated and activating them to engage with the community in a meaningful way. Our participants support rescue animals in their recovery while working on their own personal goals. Connecting people and animals in need creates a win-win for our community.”
The pandemic has seen a great impact on people’s mental wellbeing. Social isolation is a key factor which drastically compounds other physical and mental health challenges and Happy Paws Happy Hearts exists to foster social inclusion in the community.
“More and more Australians now know what social isolation feels like after their experience in COVID lockdowns. For our participants, this was their life long before the pandemic. If we don’t reach these people, then they are left feeling stuck, and more importantly, we as a community will lose talented, kind, and passionate people who do want to make a difference,” Zoe says.
The demand for mental health services is rising and Happy Paws Happy Hearts has seen firsthand the need for support.
“We have seen a growing demand for our programs both in-person and online. In the last 12 months, our programs grew by a further 50 per cent. Even before the pandemic, over 1.1 million Australians were socially isolated or facing deep social exclusion.”
“Like many other organisations, we feel that we are in a large mental health crisis nationally.”
“Our participants say their anxiety around meeting people is very high. Getting out of the house even once a week can be a serious mental battle.”
“Fortunately, we found that rescue animals can really draw people in. The participants in our programs see themselves in the rescue animals who are also recovering from trauma and are rebuilding their confidence. It’s through this purposeful work that our participants start advancing their skills, self-confidence and social networks.”
“I’m very proud to lead an organisation which has meaningful and positive improvement in the lives of many.”
Happy Paws Happy Hearts will soon be available in 37 high quality shelters and wildlife sanctuaries nation-wide, as well as online to help people with serious social anxieties and those who can’t come to programs in person due to lockdowns.