A simple idea to bring foster dogs to visit lonely family members has grown into a Wacol-based national charity changing thousands of lives, both human and animal.
Happy Paws Happy Hearts (HPHH) has been honoured for its work, receiving a Special Mention for the Hutchinson Builders Social Enterprise award category at the 2025 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards. Help Enterprises took home the Social Enterprise Award.
The Lord Mayor’s Business Awards, now in their 20th year, celebrate the visionaries and innovators shaping Brisbane’s $200 billion economy. HPHH was named one of 44 finalists recognised for driving the city’s success.
A Mission to Heal Two Kinds of Hurt
The organisation was created to find a single solution for two major problems: the 1.1 million Australians experiencing social exclusion and the more than 124,000 animals waiting for adoption in shelters like the RSPCA every year.
Happy Paws Happy Hearts partners with animal shelters to create a safe space for vulnerable people. Participants join programs, both online and inside the shelters, where they share a love of animals, learn new skills, and give back to the community in a powerful way.
More Than Just a Pat
The organisation’s unique approach moves participants out of traditional training rooms and gives them “hands-on” opportunities to care for and train the rescue animals. This interaction provides a pathway for people to overcome their own emotional and physical isolation.
According to the organisation’s mission, this method helps rebuild confidence in stages and often results in a new outlook on life. It is a purposeful approach focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for both the people and the animals, helping to prepare the pets for their future adoptive homes.
A Simple Idea Grown Big
The national charity started from a simple observation. In 2014, co-founders Zoe and Grame brought their foster dogs to visit socially isolated family members. They witnessed an immediate connection, bringing smiles to faces and wags to tails.
From that first visit, Happy Paws Happy Hearts has expanded across Australia. It continues to craft programs that support both people and animals, backed by partners who help it reach more isolated individuals and provide much-needed human interaction for shelter animals.
Published Date 10-November-2025
