Puppy Yoga Australia was never just an idea. It was born out of love and the unshakable bond between humans and dogs.
Our founder spent her twenties working with dogs in rescue organisations caring for them, rehoming them and seeing first-hand how they change lives. But it was her own family's story that shaped Puppy Yoga into what it is today.
A few years ago, her father was diagnosed with cancer. When asked what he would want more than anything, his answer was simple: a dog. He had always dreamed of owning a Thai Ridgeback.
At just 23, with little money to spare, our founder emptied her savings to surprise him with a Ridgeback puppy named Nahla. From the moment she arrived, Nahla was more than a dog. She was a companion, a guardian and a reason to smile on days when hope felt far away.
The two years that followed were the hardest of their lives, hospital visits, treatments, uncertainty. But through every sleepless night and every heavy day, Nahla was there. She couldn't cure cancer, but she gave something medicine couldn't: comfort, joy and the will to keep fighting.
Watching her father's spirit lifted by a dog's unconditional love showed our founder what she already believed deep down: dogs don't just walk beside us; they carry us through.
Yoga had always been her personal anchor, a practice that centred her through chaos. Dogs had always been her passion. Bringing them together wasn't a business idea; it was a way to share with others what she had lived herself: that even in the darkest seasons, dogs and presence can make the impossible a little more bearable.
And so, Puppy Yoga Australia was born.
Every class is a celebration of that truth, a space where people can breathe, laugh, cry and heal, surrounded by puppies learning to trust and connect. Every ticket sold carries that legacy forward, with donations supporting cancer research, rescue shelters and mental health charities.