Every year, David Graham, or Farmer Dave as he’s better known, makes the journey to Sydney with his aptly name “Mutley Crew” of canine companions to take part in the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
More than a usual dog show showcasing high jumps and obstacles, Farmer Dave’s performances in the Pet Arena involve the participants and young people of his flagship youth program, Rufftack.
RuffTrack aims to re-engage vulnerable and at-risk young people with the community by helping them develop confidence, interpersonal and work skills to plan their future on the right side of the tracks.
The most unique aspect of the RuffTrack program is in the partnering of program participants with a dog companion. By developing their relationship with their chosen dog, they are able to build a connection that might have otherwise been lost through delinquency and substance abuse.
“Our mission is to keep kids out of prison…and unfortunately we have a two hundred year or so year history of locking people up in this country and we want that to change…”
Sellesy and Joseph (pictured above) are just two of the Rufftrack program participants who have turned their lives around since starting their Rufftrack journey this past year. With their confidence building everyday through teamwork and shared responsibility, the boys shared their experiences of being in the program with us on Show Radio. If you’d like to learn more or make a donation to the Rufftrack Program, visit their website here.
