Kate & Murphy
Golden Bond is intentionally personal: one handler, one dog and the relationships they build with the people they visit.
Meet Kate
Golden Bond began after Kate completed a university placement in aged care through the Lifestyle Department as part of her Certificate IV in Mental Health. Conversations with residents repeatedly returned to the pets they remembered and missed.
Kate has a background and qualifications in mental health. She also holds current Working With Children, Police and NDIS Worker Screening checks and Infection Prevention & Control training.
Meet Murphy
Murphy is Golden Bond’s social, friendly and fun-loving Golden Retriever. He holds School Wellbeing and Therapy Dog Certification through Paws for Support and Learner Dog and Provisional Handler Certification through Lead the Way with Kate.
Lead the Way training supports the purposeful and ethical inclusion of Murphy in Kate’s work. Where appropriate, Kate can use that framework alongside her mental-health training in structured, goal-directed wellbeing sessions within her qualifications and scope. Other visits can remain simply about companionship, connection and enjoyment.
Murphy has current vaccination records, monthly full parasite prevention, regular veterinary checks and professional grooming, with additional pre-visit washing when appropriate. He also completes ongoing recertification requirements.
Connection over perfection.
Murphy is a therapy dog — but he is still a dog, and that is important to the way Golden Bond works.
He is not expected to remain perfectly still or perform throughout a visit. Murphy is given space to move, sniff, explore, rest and choose how he engages with the people around him. Sometimes that means settling beside someone for a quiet pat; sometimes it means moving around the room, greeting different people or taking a break.
Kate continually watches Murphy’s body language, comfort and engagement. Food, water and rest breaks are built into visits as needed, and his working week is structured with rest days.
We believe the best connections happen when Murphy is comfortable, interested and genuinely enjoying being there — because connection does not need to look perfect to be meaningful.