Tail-Wagging Tales: John's adventures with HPHH

John has been attending Happy Paws Happy Hearts since 2019. He joined because he loves animals, particularly dogs, and he cannot have a dog in his current living situation.  

Growing up in Canberra, John slowly made his way up to Brisbane, where he has lived for the past 11 years. He also lived in rural NSW where he met and sang with Jimmy Barnes at an event for disabled people.  

“I sang with Jimmy Barnes on stage, and I got his photograph. I also got a photo with his daughter Mahalia (Barnes),” John says. 

John loves singing, so this was an incredible experience for him. He’s currently in a choir and enjoys doing karaoke, where he always sings the same song for the woman behind the bar. 

In our Care Program, John loves interacting with the animals and socialising with the participants. His favourite memory is meeting a German Shepherd named Mars and the special connection they shared.  

“Every time he would sit at the door, then he (would) look at me and would just come straight past everybody else and straight to me,” John says.  

This was years ago and remains a special memory for John. John’s carer, Luke says he still asks about Mars, who has since been adopted from RSPCA Wacol.  

John’s favourite thing about the program is the dogs. He also likes seeing the birds during the adoption walks, getting out of the house, socialising, and learning from the trainers. 

Having attended Happy Paws Happy Hearts for many years, John has earned himself several certificates of achievement, which he is proud of.  

When reflecting on how he has changed in his time at Happy Paws Happy Hearts, John says he is 'getting older'. He is a character with plenty of stories and jokes to share. We love having John as a part of our HPHH community. 

“Thank you for having me here. Thank you for teaching me all about the animals,” John says.