Paws & Potential: Healing Shelter Dogs & Youth

We are excited to share that Paws & Potential is currently in the planning and preparation phase as we work toward launching this pilot programme later this year in partnership with the Cape of Good Hope SPCA in Cape Town.

This programme will bring vulnerable youth together with high-risk shelter dogs in weekly, trauma-informed sessions designed to support healing and growth for both. While the programme has not started yet, important groundwork is now underway to ensure the pilot launches successfully and sustainably.

Over the past few months we have begun:

• Planning the programme structure, including the weekly session format and activities that support emotional learning, empathy, and humane dog care.
• Working closely with the SPCA team to identify how the programme can best support dogs who are stressed or overlooked in the shelter environment.
• Preparing training materials and safeguarding processes to ensure the sessions are safe, supportive, and impactful for both youth and dogs.
• Developing monitoring and evaluation tools so we can measure outcomes such as improvements in youth wellbeing and the adoptability of participating dogs.

Launching a thoughtful pilot programme takes careful preparation, and we are committed to building a strong foundation so that both the young people and the dogs involved benefit fully from the experience.

Once the programme begins, we look forward to sharing stories, photos, and updates about the youth participants, the shelter dogs they work with, and the impact this project is creating.

Thank you for being part of the journey and helping us bring Paws & Potential to life.