By Tia Priest-Willimott

Michael Matheson-Deng had just moved to Canberra in 2019 and had the feeling dogs might be suffering because of what he saw as the transient nature of the city.

“People will come and potentially not live here for a long time and so they might not have the long-term stability to have a dog,” he says. 

And that’s where the idea for Dogs Canberra came from, between him and fellow founder Toby Hardcastle.

They created a not-for-profit charity that gives locals the opportunity to walk dogs, while being dedicated to improving the quality of life for kennel dogs and enriching public mental health and community well-being.  

“We thought, why not have a community-run organisation where it’s really focused on people that don’t have dogs having the chance to have a dog,” he says.

Dogs Canberra takes a small number of dogs from shelters and pounds in the ACT and NSW, focusing on building their resilience and temperament through professional assessment and training.

Once ready, the dogs join the Dogs Canberra community network, where volunteers walk, play and bond with them.

From that start, Dogs Canberra has expanded with five different services available, including the community walking program.

“You’ve got dogs that are sitting in kennels that want socialisation, and you’ve got people who have rough days and just want to be with a furry friend,” Michael says.

“So why not match dogs that yearn for socialisation and love, with people that could also benefit from that?”

To help ease any fears of unruly and uncontrollable dogs, the team’s central trainer Yevette Ho, works to manage behaviour. 

“I think Yevette does an amazing job of being there and having the knowledge to come through with the dogs to teach them some tips and tricks,” Michael says.

“Yevette trains our dogs so that when they do enter the walking program, they’re okay to be out and are sociable.”

While the team love spending time with their furry friends, they’re happiest when they see a dog and human connecting.

With mental health being such a big focus of what they do, Michael and two other locals are travelling more than 4000 kilometres in 40 days in their Ride for Ruff fundraising campaign.

“We’re doing a bike ride from Perth to Canberra to try and raise awareness that sometimes it feels like everything has gone downhill and it’s okay to struggle,” Michael says. 

Over the 40 days, the bike riding trio will be raising money for Lifeline Canberra and Dogs Canberra, while encouraging conversations about mental health and connection in the community.

“All the profits that we raise will be split 50-50 between Dogs Canberra and Lifeline, with a target of $200,000,” Michael says. 

“For us, the $100,000 would expand our community walking program, so we can have a bigger footprint, especially on the mental health side.”

Bryce Taylor, also from Dogs Canberra, will be pedalling with Michael on the ride and is keen to help raise awareness for mental health support services. 

The 40-day ride saw the team set off from Perth on November 1, with the main part of the ride finishing on December 10 in Jindabyne.

From there, the trio will hold a group ride, with supporters, friends, community members and fellow cyclists invited to join the team for part of the final journey into Canberra.

“I’m really hopeful that throughout the journey we can raise awareness of Lifeline and Dogs Canberra as we come through, and maybe ride with locals as we go through their town,” Bryce says.

“For the last stretch into Canberra, if you’ve done a bit of cycling and you’re interested in joining, we’d love for you to be there.”

To donate to Dogs Canberra, volunteer for the community walking program or join the community bike ride, visit dogscbr.org 

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