“YEARS ago now I had a lot of problems in my life, I was making a lot of bad choices and it ended up leading to homelessness,” says “Happy”, 46.

“The only thing really keeping me going were my two dogs.”

Eventually, Happy (who has asked us not to use his real name) says, he got into a program through St Vincent de Paul, “Street to Home”, which helped him navigate the realities of being homeless, and he was encouraged to engage with groups and services to help improve his situation.

Through “Street to Home”, Happy found Pets in the Park.

“I had two dogs, nine and 10 years old, and they were my everything,” he says.

“But, of course, at that age, they were starting to have some issues, so it was an absolute godsend that I found Pets in the Park.”

Through Pets in the Park, Happy’s dogs were desexed, one of them had a hernia operation and the other was cured of a toe infection.

A vet of 23 years, Alison Taylor is a founding committee member of Canberra’s Pets in the Park.

Clinics are run monthly, and Alison says they see between 15 and 30 clients in their two-hour session.

“It’s mainly preventative healthcare so worming, fleas, heartworm prevention and vaccinations, but we do a reasonable amount of care beyond that, too,” she says, and major pet operations are held quarterly.

“As a vet, you just want all the animals to be as happy and healthy as they can be, and whilst there’s an element of responsibility in owning a pet, we acknowledge that some people are not in a position at various times in their life to necessarily pay full price for the care that the pets need.”

Happy found himself growing more confident, he says, as he continued to visit Pets in the Park for his two dogs, and offered his own help.

“The beauty was they allowed me to come and volunteer with them. I was gaining experience dealing with people again, and feeling rewarded for doing something good.”

“Unfortunately, my dogs got too old and had to be put down. But I still went to Pets in the Park.

“I got there once and everyone of them came and gave me a hug, I even got a card from one of them and they would send me messages of support.

“They’re not only helping the animals, they’re helping the person as well and that is such a powerful thing.”

A week went by, and Happy felt as though he’d lost his happiness, so he got a new puppy, Panda, now eight months old.

“A lot of my decision came down to knowing that I did have support, and I cannot thank Pets in the Park enough for that. Instantly, my happiness was back. I have my friend, someone who gives me a little bit more happiness.

“Her lead, her collar, even the food in her tummy today was provided by Pets in the Park.”

Pets in the Park offer donated biscuits, cans of food and other pet necessities.

“It’s little things like that, that take the pressure off you,” says Happy.

“Especially when you’re rebuilding your life, it really does matter. They’ve been such a wonderful part of getting my life back on track, helping to keep my life on track and moving forward into the future.”

Happy’s time spent volunteering with Pets in the Park gave him the skills he needed to begin applying for jobs again and he found himself a support network. 

“Without them I would have been lost, allowing me to help them out did so much for me,” he says.

After spending nine months homeless, Happy now has gained a few shifts in part-time employment and has managed to find a place for Panda and himself to call home.

“Truth is I’m still rebuilding my life, and Pets in the Park is one of the few services I still access.

“There are still occasions where I go without, but Panda never has to.”

Pets in the Park is run on the third Sunday of each month, 2pm-4pm, at 69 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra.

Email canberra@petsinthepack.org.au