Kids tend to gravitate to one particular dog who they connect with.
25 MAY 2026. If you spend any time at BackTrack, one thing becomes clear fast: the dogs are everywhere. Not as a mascot or a sideline, but as a genuine part of how the organisation works with young people, every single day.
What is Paws Up?
Run by one dedicated team member alongside 20 to 30 dogs at any given time, Paws Up is woven into nearly every part of BackTrack's work — dog handling, training, stockwork, and dog jumps at local agricultural shows and events. But it goes well beyond skills and training. BackTrack kids and their dogs visit primary schools to read with students, spend time at nursing homes, and take centre stage at Dog Lovers shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne — described as BackTrack's version of a school camp, for young people who've often never had the chance to go on one.
At the farm, at the shed in Armidale, and at Warrah, BackTrack's accommodation, the dogs are a constant presence.
Why it matters
For young people navigating trauma, instability, and genuinely tough circumstances, dogs offer something rare: non-judgemental companionship, and a calming, grounding presence that doesn't ask anything of them in return.
None of this happens by accident. The dogs themselves are highly trained by expert Francesca Andreoni, whose skill goes beyond dog training alone — she's a gifted teacher, able to bring together what the dogs need and what the kids need in a way that benefits both.
A rich learning space
Paws Up is a rich learning space, and it's easy to see why it sits at the centre of BackTrack's model — it teaches responsibility, offers connection, builds confidence, and gives young people a reason to show up.
We're proud that Coolaroo Foundation's support will go directly into strengthening this program — helping ensure the dogs, and the young people whose lives they touch, keep doing what they do best.
