It is often said that ‘dogs are man’s best friend. But for some people, dogs have transcended the role of best friend, proving to be the gateway to a better quality of life. “I have been blown away by the impact our assistance dogs have had on young people and their families,” said dog trainer, Phil Brocklehurst. “It is incredible.”

Phil has been training dogs for the Compass Institute since 2016 following a conversation with Compass Institute Founder, David Dangerfield, about the possibility of training dogs to support children with autism and intellectual disabilities.

“Phil and I have known each other a long time, through Aikido training,” David said. “I knew of Phil’s background training dogs and I thought there was an opportunity to connect assistance dogs with children on the autism spectrum.”

“Phil and his wife Bev loved the idea of finding and training assistance dogs, and volunteered their time for the first year to get the program running,” David said. “It is an understatement to say that we could not have dreamed that these dogs would transform the lives of their families in the way they have. Something magic happens when we place the dogs into a family. It is so special.”

“Probably one of the most powerful and immediate changes is that we have seen children with horribly disrupted sleep patterns start to sleep through the night. This alone improves the quality of life for children and their families,” he said.

Phil has trained dogs for decades, but the assistance dog program at the Compass Institute is unlike any other he has experienced. “The dogs are gifted to these families,” he said. “Which is huge because for so many families with a child with special needs, they already face additional expenses, and often only one parent can work, or there is only one parent. If they had to find $30,000 for an assistance dog to help their child, it just wouldn’t happen.”

“We have had so much support from local businesses, private donors and volunteers to help us get this program off the ground, it is fantastic,” David said. “I think that when people see where their support goes, and understand that introducing an assistance dog into a child’s life completely changes the trajectory of their life, they want to be part of it.”

Since the program began the Compass Institute has successfully placed 12 dogs, and are about to place their 13th. 

“One of the things that we are extremely proud of is that we have been able to train and place dogs from the Sippy Creek Animal Refuge,” Phil said. “I am fortunate to have a very good relationship with the refuge staff, and they know what I am looking for temperament wise, in a dog. So they keep in close contact with me and let me know when they have a potentially suitable candidate,” he said. 

“Assessing and training a rescue dog is definitely more work, but at the same time, it is also more rewarding. It is just a win-win on every level when you can give a beautiful, intelligent dog another chance and you can improve the quality of life of a special needs child and their family.”

The Compass Institute will be raising funds for Compass Assistance Dogs at their annual Compass Charity Golf Day on Friday 25th September.  “We have been well supported and sponsored by Cricks Sunshine Coast,” said David. “In fact, they are our biggest supporters. The Golf days are a lot of fun and numbers are limited. This year we are already fully booked.”

• To support the program, contact the Compass Institute on 5445 9116