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Kelly Barnes’ love for dogs and personal experience living with chronic pain and mental health have led her to develop Mates Working Dog School – a training program helping participants build low stress stock handling skills and a stronger awareness of mental health care. The Dunkeld local is passionate about offering social connections and networking events for primary producers, earning her the title of Victoria’s AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award in 2020.
Kelly’s adoration for dogs spans her entire lifetime. Growing up on a mixed cropping farm in High Wycombe, South-East England, she acquired her first working dog after she left university to pursue work on a sheep property. Travelling to New Zealand and then Australia in 2007, the then 24-year-old bought a loyal kelpie, Dugald, who has been by her side ever since. “Working in shearing sheds and as a station hand, I really struggled without a working dog,” she says. “He's pretty much been everywhere with me and having him has helped me get a lot more stock work.”
Having experienced isolation and chronic pain and chronic fatigue as a result of her time in the industry, Kelly says her own team of working dogs have proved invaluable in maintaining her mental well-being; a framework she would like to see rolled out throughout many other rural communities.
Kelly’s pilot program is aimed at helping farmers engage and interact with their dogs at a deeper level, while enhancing the social and mental well-being of participants. With seed funding from the Rural Women’s Award she has been able to engage prominent Kelpie Trainer, Ian O’Connell to facilitate each workshop. The funding will also go towards a research trip to NSW to study existing drought resilience and mental wellbeing programs, and to enlist the expertise of research and psychology professionals.
Photography credits: Emily Wilson Photography
Kelly says that one of the biggest issues in any rural area is isolation. This isolation may not always be geographical in nature and can also include working alone on farms all day with extremely limited human contact. With many environmental challenges beyond farmers’ control, she says the constant stresses can take its toll on physical and mental well-being.
Combined with a shortage of mental health care resources in regional areas, Kelly believes too many agricultural workers are falling through the cracks. However with growing international evidence to support the mental benefits of service animals, she believes the humble working dog could provide an untapped potential.
Despite COVID-19 raining on her presentation parade, the 37-year-old says winning the Victorian Rural Women’s Award has offered an extraordinary shift in her perspective of herself. “It really boosted my confidence because I didn't really know if other people would think it was a good idea. After going through the application process, brainstorming and fine tuning the program, it’s been amazing to have other people backing and supporting you”, she says. “It makes you think, ‘I've got something here, I'm actually worth something. I have got value and I've got something to give’”.
Photography credits: Emily Wilson Photography
With 2022 applications opening in the coming months, Kelly is enthusiastic for other women to start thinking about applying for the next round of the award. “I had a previous winner contact me, to say she’d be happy to help me brainstorm my idea. There is so much support amongst the previous finalists and winners. You don’t have to have an amazing idea straight off the bat; the process is designed to help you fine tune it along the way”, Kelly says.
The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award is Australia’s leading award acknowledging and supporting the essential role women play in rural industries, businesses and communities. The Award provides a platform to inspire and support Australian women to use and develop their skills to benefit their industries and communities.
The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award is Australia’s leading award acknowledging and supporting the essential role women play in rural industries, businesses and communities. Applications for 2022 open August 2021.
Applications for 2022 open 26 August 2021. Please head to the website for more information:
https://www.agrifutures.com.au/people-leadership/rural-womens-award/
Photography Credits :
Emily Wilson Photography
Instagram: @emilywilsonphotography
Website:@emilywilsonphotography
