2025 has been a truly remarkable year for Ted’s Space. Mid-year we welcomed our beautiful four-year-old Labradoodle, Juno, to the team, and she has already become an absolute cornerstone of our programme. Juno settled into school life like she was born for it – working brilliantly with our older students, encouraging movement, building confidence, and forging deep, trusting connections through her gentle cuddles and playful energy. Watching her tip over cones, navigate student-designed obstacle courses, and model problem-solving with such enthusiasm has been pure joy. Alongside Willow and Daisy, Juno has helped create safe, happy spaces where even the most reserved rangatahi feel seen, brave, and ready to try.
Daisy, our gentle and steadfast therapy dog, has had a standout year in 2025. In Term 3, she proudly completed a 10km charity walk alongside students and staff from Fergusson Intermediate, raising awareness and funds while demonstrating her calm endurance every step of the way. Throughout the year, Daisy has continued to shine in her special gift of seeking out those who need it most – quietly approaching the children who prefer to stay on the edges, offering soft hugs, grounded presence, and unspoken reassurance that helps melt away anxiety and build quiet confidence. With new Pub Charity funding specifically designated for Fergusson Intermediate in 2026, we’re excited to deepen our programme there. Daisy can’t wait to welcome Juno and Willow alongside her at “Fergie,” creating even more opportunities for connection, growth, and joyful tail-wags with the amazing tamariki who call it home.
Willow, our energetic six-year-old Spoodle, has been the perfect match for our most active tamariki in 2025. She absolutely loves joining in on playground adventures – racing around, playfully trying to scramble up slides, and keeping up with every burst of energy from our super-busy kids. Her boundless enthusiasm has seen her clock up thousands of steps this year during “walk and talk” sessions, providing a safe, moving space where students can unpack big thoughts and feelings while strolling side-by-side. Through watching Willow’s playful behaviour – whether she’s persisting at a tricky game, showing momentary frustration, or figuring out a new challenge – children learn to recognise and name their own emotions, practise problem-solving, and build resilience in the most natural, joyful way. Willow’s wagging tail and non-judgemental presence make every active moment a powerful opportunity for growth.
None of this would have been possible without the extraordinary financial support we received in 2025. We are deeply grateful to the Ministry of Education - Regional Response Fund, Lotteries Grants, Hutt Mana Charitable Foundation and the Nikau Foundation for their generous funding, which has allowed us to keep delivering free, high-quality animal-assisted therapy sessions across Wellington schools. These partnerships have enabled us to reach more students from Primary School to Colleges and provide the consistent, joyful support they deserve. Every session is a direct result of this community belief in what we do.
We also invested heavily in our people and pups this year. Our handlers and dogs continued ongoing professional training with our two amazing mentors Pet Pro Trainer and Positively Together. We also attended numerous webinars focused on positive reinforcement, and learning how to adapt and integrate activities for diverse age groups, in 1-1, small group and whole-class engagement settings with the Ted's Space crew. This commitment to best practice ensures our games, communication strategies, and enrichment activities are always tailored, safe, and effective. The privilege of capturing those quiet, powerful moments – a hesitant child reaching out for the first cuddle, a student finding their voice through clear commands, or simply witnessing a moment of calm in a busy classroom – continues to heal hearts and souls while building real, transferable skills for learning and life.
Check out our fun video from our training with the amazing Bex Tasker (Positively Together) earlier this year, with so much focus on communication, timing and creating a partnership with human and animal. A truly amazing experience.
https://youtu.be/IW8Olc637OI - Manes, Hooves, Feathers and Beaks - It's not all dog training!
Finally, 2025 reminded us of the beautiful ripple effect of kindness. We loved teaching altruism through our student-led projects, making snuffle mats and enrichment toys to donate to local Wellington charity Chance 4 Change - where tamariki practised planning, financial literacy, time management, and generosity, then celebrated with the best reward of all: puppy cuddles with the Chance 4 Change team. We were also honoured to present at grant funding evenings and community board meetings, sharing stories of the difference our dogs make every day.
We are endlessly grateful for every moment we get to spend with our incredible students, supportive whānau, dedicated teachers, and generous funders. Thank you for trusting us with your children and believing in the power of a wagging tail to change lives. Here’s to an even brighter 2026 – more cuddles, more growth, more tail-wagging magic.
