Part of the pack: Bunji spotlight, Dylan Roe
Celebrating Dylan's remarkable journey with Bunji’s Launchpad Program
Looking after a pack of 30 large dogs is no easy feat, but for Bunji participant and Launchpad member, Dylan Roe, this is just a regular day of work experience.
Dylan joined Bunji’s Launchpad School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) Program at the start of 2023 to support him through his final years of high school. Through his dedication and commitment to the program, Dylan successfully completed Year 12 and quickly set his sights on a new goal – gaining a Certificate II in Animal Studies from Tafe NSW.
This idea came to him due to his love of animals. Having two dogs himself (a pug mix and dachshund), he couldn’t think of anything better than working with dogs all day. Cassie Stevens-Morley, Bunji Launchpad (SLES) support facilitator, took Dlyan’s interests on board and contacted a range of local doggy day cares to enquire about work experience opportunities. The first to reply? Field Dayz Doggy Daycare in Dapto, which caters to medium-large dogs.
When asked why she jumped on board so quickly, Laura, owner of Field Dayz replied with:
“I just like to help. I mean, if it helps Dylan get more confident and find somewhere that he can learn all these practical experiences, then why not? I learned most of what I know about dogs on the job. Having that practical experience is worth ten times as much as what study can do. So why not give someone the opportunity if I've got the availability for it?”
Dylan started working with Laura and her team one day a week, which quickly increased to two days. His tasks include supporting Laura with dog pick ups, greeting customers, monitoring the dogs throughout the day, keeping the facility tidy, and getting the dogs back in the van to take them home (a task more difficult than it sounds!).
Dylan’s main responsibility is watching the dogs interact with each other throughout the day and monitoring how they behave. The pack he watches can range anywhere from eight to 30 dogs. He notes he’s learnt the most in this area – he knows when it is and isn’t a good time to play fetch, when playing can turn into fighting and when a dog needs space away from the others.
Laura remarks the dogs have gravitated towards Dylan's calm nature and he’s been a welcome presence amongst the pack and team, “With the number of dogs here, every dog has its favourite person. We've got a couple of dogs on Dylan's day that seek him out when they get here, and it's fantastic.”
Cassie has also noticed Dylan’s confidence grow as a result of this work experience and is extremely proud of his achievements, along with the rest of the Bunji team.
In week three of Dylan’s work experience at Field Dayz, Laura jumped on board to be his official work placement for his Tafe course, allowing him to officially start his Certificate in Animal Studies.
So where to from here? Dylan looks forward to completing his work placement with Field Dayz as he completes his studies online. He will then seek out an additional work placement opportunity in another animal category such as a cattery or horse stable to round out his studies.
Dylan’s accomplishments serve as a testament to his dedication and determination and we can’t wait to see what his future has in store.
Keep shining bright, Dylan – you are indeed a star!