“Receiving Bruce has almost definitely saved my life. Now I have a full-time job. I've completed a university degree. Life is only getting started. Bruce provided me with an anchor when I didn't really know what was coming next. Things were made infinitely easier having the right companion with me. That source of reliable and constant support. Never judging. Bruce just knows empathy. He's incredibly perceptive. He knows your emotions before you do.”

https://www.2gb.com/the-remarkable-initiative-connecting-prisoners-and-veterans/

Steve Slack who suffers from PTSD and injuries with his assistance dog Mocha at Tuggeranong archery club. Picture by James Croucher

Taryn and Gigi in the snow.

Carpe Diem - Find out how Defence Community Dog Gigi is helping her Navy Veteran Taryn seize the day. Providing physical and emotional support for symptoms of PTSD, so Taryn can keep looking to the horizon. Striving forward with Gigi by her side. To apply for a dog, or to find out more on how Defence Community Dogs support their Veterans, visit www.dcdogs.com.au/apply.

Six-year-old Labrador and Defence Community Dog Bruce has become a star employee for the Level Crossing Removal Project in Melbourne’s south east after joining the team to help an ex-Army member manage ongoing mental health challenges.

Each year, the Bathurst Community rally around the Defence Community Program, donating to the 2BS B-Rock initiative to fundraise in support of the inmate trainers and dog training team at the local Bathurst Correctional Facility, Honour House.

A pre-COVID visit to Canberra, the country’s biggest concentration of ADF personnel, to introduce Defence Community Dogs assistance dogs program: rescued or rehomed Labradors, trained by prison inmates, that help serving and former ADF members manage illness and injuries.