Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Happy Paws Happy Hearts Team Leader Justin Palazzo Orr says there are still spots available in a 12-week program connecting veterans with rescue animals to help overcome trauma and isolation

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Happy Paws Happy Hearts Team Leader Justin Palazzo Orr says there are still spots available in a 12-week program connecting veterans with rescue animals to help overcome trauma and isolation · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: And a twelve week program is launching this weekend. It's
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  Speaker 1: connecting Darwin veterans and animals in a therapeutic approach to
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  Speaker 1: overcoming social isolation and trauma. The participants will attend animal
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  Speaker 1: shelters where they'll learn to train and care for rescue animals,
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  Speaker 1: benefiting everybody involved. Now joining us on the line to
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  Speaker 1: tell us a little bit more is Happy Pause, Happy
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  Speaker 1: Hearts team leader Justin Palazzo or good morning to you Justin.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. How are you going?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, really good? Thanks so much for joining us on
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  Speaker 1: the show today. Justin tell us about the program which
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  Speaker 1: I understand gets underway in Darwin tomorrow.
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  Speaker 2: Actually it's kicking off today, which is pretty exciting. The
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  Speaker 2: program that we've got kicking off today is specifically for veterans'
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  Speaker 2: first responders and injured workers and the whole idea of
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  Speaker 2: it is to give them an opportunity to get involved
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  Speaker 2: with some elter animals and just connect back into the
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  Speaker 2: community again.
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  Speaker 1: Now, what benefits will the veterans game gain that do
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  Speaker 1: get involved in the program.
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  Speaker 2: So the big thing that we've found with especially our
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  Speaker 2: veterans getting involved in this program is continuing that sense
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  Speaker 2: of service and being able to contribute to the community
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  Speaker 2: and also just connecting with some of those awesome animals
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  Speaker 2: at RSPTA and Dalen and tell.
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  Speaker 1: Me how can people get involved and how many spots
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  Speaker 1: are still available.
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  Speaker 2: So we do have still a couple of spots available,
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  Speaker 2: and these are fee free places as well, so there's
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  Speaker 2: no out of pocket expense for any of the distance
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  Speaker 2: for this particular program. Whever, we do have other programs
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  Speaker 2: that are still available at our FIFA service and the
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  Speaker 2: best way to get in touch is either through the
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  Speaker 2: Happy Pores Happy Hearts website which is Hphhfoundation dot org,
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  Speaker 2: or by giving us a call on our one three
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  Speaker 2: number and make.
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  Speaker 1: You said that kicking off actually today, what's the feeling
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  Speaker 1: how people going out there as they're arriving and sort
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  Speaker 1: of understanding how it all happens.
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  Speaker 2: Look, I guess there's a mix of excitement and caution,
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  Speaker 2: you know something. The things that we do it Happy
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  Speaker 2: Boyd's Happy Hearts is so unique that it's hard to
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  Speaker 2: really get a concept of it before you're in there.
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  Speaker 2: But everyone's looking forward to just connecting with the animals,
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  Speaker 2: having that connection, contributing to helping out at RSPCA and
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  Speaker 2: dh and just building up those connections again.
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  Speaker 1: So tell me. I mean, it is obviously going to
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  Speaker 1: be beneficial for the veterans, but it sounds like it's
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  Speaker 1: a great thing for the animals too.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely, we had love seeing the animals at RSPCA
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  Speaker 2: going from being a bit cautious. Some of them have
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  Speaker 2: not had the best experience with humans in the past,
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  Speaker 2: and a big part of this program is building up
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  Speaker 2: connections and trust again for the humans with animals and
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  Speaker 2: with each other, but also for the animals with humans
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  Speaker 2: and starting to build up those levels of trust with
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  Speaker 2: people again, building up their sense of connection and being
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  Speaker 2: able to get rehomed into their forever home.
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  Speaker 1: And I do understand that this program has taken place
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  Speaker 1: in Queensland. What was the success once it rolled out there?
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  Speaker 1: How did it go? Oh?
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  Speaker 2: Look, we've had some massive wins, especially with our veteran
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  Speaker 2: community as well. We've had participants who have gone through
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  Speaker 2: the program and then gone off and started their own
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  Speaker 2: dog training business. We've had some that have started little
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  Speaker 2: doggy daycares out of their homes and stuff like that.
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  Speaker 2: So even some of our participants have come back to
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  Speaker 2: volunteer at Happy Pores, Happy Hearts as well.
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  Speaker 1: Animals are the best, aren't they?
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely well, I love.
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  Speaker 1: Dogs, they are they really do. Just put a smile
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  Speaker 1: on your face and help in so many ways.
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  Speaker 2: Yep, every day.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I love this program. Thank you so much for
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  Speaker 1: having a chat with us this morning. Tell us one
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  Speaker 1: more time. If people are listening this morning and want
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  Speaker 1: to get involved, how can they find out more?
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  Speaker 2: So best thing to do is jump onto the website,
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  Speaker 2: which is Hpahhfoundation dot org or one three hundred zero
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  Speaker 2: seven seven nine eighty four. And we're also looking for
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  Speaker 2: volunteers as well, so if you've got some time it
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  Speaker 2: can contribute. We're super keen here from.
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  Speaker 1: All wonderful stuff. Well, happy pause, Happy Hearts team leader
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  Speaker 1: justin Palazzo or thanks so very much for your time
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  Speaker 2: Today, my pleasure, Thanks Gatie, Thank you,