Bathurst RSL Funds Training Assistance Dogs for Suffering Veterans

Defence Community Dogs is an independent program that trains rescue dogs to become assistance dogs and matches them up with ex-serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members who suffer physical and mental illnesses as a result of their service – providing the furry friends free of charge. Furthermore, the dogs are retrained by inmates from the Bathurst Correctional Centre who are at the end of their sentence. 

Defence Community Dogs CEO Leanne Kyle says the program – which has been running for eight years –wouldn’t be possible without the support they receive from clubs – particularly Bathurst RSL. 

“We want more veterans to find out about the program, we want people to know about it and learn that there is this option to complement their medication or other therapies,” Leanne said.

“Bathurst RSL Club is really active in their community; everyone knows about them, and they've been able to really boost our profile and help us raise funds.” 

The triple-pronged program not only gives rescue dogs a new lease on life, while supporting ex-service personnel to re-enter civilian life, but by using inmates who are at the end of their sentence to train the dogs, there are also similar positive flow on effects for the inmates. 

The program has become such a success for NSW Corrective Services that there has been a zero-recidivism rate for inmates that have been through the program.

Leanne said that graduation day is one of the most prominent days for reminding herself and the organisation of the impact that they are having on such a broad spectrum of society. 

“Graduation day is one of those days that you really realise what the program is doing to touch a lot of people,” Leanne said. 

“The inmates talk about how no one's ever loved them and how the first time they have found love is the dog. Others talk about how they used to be an angry person but the dog’s calmed them down and they talk about their journey and what they've gone through emotionally.” 

Bathurst RSL CEO Peter Sargent echoed this sentiment, adding that there is rarely a dry eye in the house. 

“It's the most emotional program I've been involved in,” Peter said. 

"It’s a triple win where there's a rescue dog, there's a veteran who's getting some life-saving help and an inmate who’s learning compassion and they're finding a purpose and feeling an amount of self-worth as a result of the program, so it's really cool.” 

Bathurst RSL helps the organisation through both ClubGRANTS as well as various fundraising efforts such as donating $1 per coffee at the Club’s cafe ‘The Grind’ on specific days – an effort which raised $1276 this week.

The assistance dogs take anywhere from eight to 14 months to train (depending on their temperament and prior training) and cost a total of $30,000 before being handed off a veteran – this also covers follow-up care for the life of the dog. 

“We do an eight-day handover when the veterans come to Bathurst," Leanne said.  

“When the dog is fully trained, we pair them with the veteran and we'll run them through all the scenarios that they will encounter in the community,” Leanne said, adding that seeing veterans, particularly fathers, reconnect with their family by becoming more social is one of the best outcomes of the job. 

As for the partnership with Bathurst RSL, Leanne said it has been all encompassing. 

“The RSL has been very vocal helping the community understand that the inmates are hand selected and that they are at the end of their sentence and that it's okay to say ‘hi’ to them, make them feel welcome in the community,” she said. 

“We couldn't ask for better ambassadors than Bathurst RSL, honestly.” 

The next cohort will graduate in June this year, with a ceremony held in Bathurst.