Lisa
Creative by nature, Lisa brings her love of language, colour, texture and experimentation to group learning experiences.
She holds postgraduate degrees in the creative arts, employed as a bushfire case worker for Berry Street, a bushfire memorial facilitator for the City of Whittlesea, and a family caseworker for Uniting’s Youth and Family Services Program. At Uniting Lisa developed and delivered The Family Dog Project, a program in which families and their dogs work together to gain resilience and strengthen bonds.
Consequently, Lisa has worked with many young people who struggle with mental health issues and experienced trauma as a result of family violence. A qualified dog trainer and canine therapist, Lisa is often called upon by parents to work with their children to demonstrate how to be safe around dogs and understand appropriate play.
As a member of the Canine Comprehension team, Lisa is looking forward to extending her work with children and dogs. She advocates for a dog's ability to enrich individual and classroom learning, to ‘catch’ children before they fall through the net, and to ignite the spark that drives them.
When she’s not hanging out with her dogs, Lisa enjoys gardening, arts and crafts, and musical theatre.
Billy
Billy the Labradoodle is more interested in people than dogs. With his bright eyes and fluffy coat, he is a big hit with children and adults alike and can brighten up anyone’s day with his special gift of snuggling.
Billy’s journey began with another family who suffered a personal tragedy and could no longer keep him. His new journey includes several qualifications including Advanced ‘Demo Dog’ with Alpha Canine Professional and Advanced Therapy Dog AAI with Lead the Way. Billy was part of the Family Dog Project at Uniting with his mum Lisa and brother Charlie. He has also been a model for the dog coat company WeatherBeeta!
Billy just loves to learn. Whether it is a new obedience command or a new trick, his fun-loving approach helps children experience the joys of learning new things. Billy is especially gifted when working with older children, and disengaged students. He knows instinctively who needs him most and will rest his head on their knee and stay close if someone is feeling sad. Billy is a very tactile dog who loves a good scratch or belly rub and will ‘talk’ when you find the right spot.
When relaxing, his favourite things are rolling in green grass, looking for new sticks to carry, and snoozing in the sun.
Charlie
Meet Charlie, the adorable Spoodle. Charlie is kind, patient and gentle, and he just loves kids!
He began life with another family who loved him but could not cope with his anxiety. Since then, Charlie has developed resilience; his special gift is helping children experience resilience too.
Charlie is also proud of his other achievements, including completing the Professional Dog Trainer’s Course with Alpha Canine Professional, Lead the Way’s Advanced Therapy Dog AAI Course, and playing a lead role as Sandy the Dog in a high school musical theatre production of Annie.
Charlie brings to the Canine Comprehension Team his sense of humour and his own challenges with learning. He prefers a creative approach rather than traditional obedience, which keeps his Mum Lisa on her toes! He is happiest hanging out with children in small groups, just being Charlie. His favourite activities are dress-ups, reading, Fetch It, and Hide and Seek (Where’s the Ball?). When happy, his tail spins like a helicopter.
When relaxing, Charlie enjoys the company of his big brother Billy (also part of the Canine Comprehension Team), zoomies, and snoozing on his mat in the sun.