Stress less with this campus visitor

Stress less with this campus visitor By Emma Hartley Executive assistant to the director of the Victorian College of Arts (VCA) Tracey Claire has brought Phoenix with her to work. “I bring him to all the student events like orientation week and open day,” Tracey told Southbank News. “He helps with the stress of the students.” “He’s not an official therapy dog but I’ve trained him as one.” Phoenix is a 10-year-old Koolie dog – another type of cattle dog similar to the Kelpie. Ms Claire used to have another Koolie dog before Phoenix, who passed away 10 years ago. “I instantly had to have one exactly the same,” she said • “When I’m looking at old photos of them, I can’t tell them apart. The personality is the same – that’s the weird thing.” Ms Claire was waiting for her third Koolie that will come from the same Queensland breeders where she found Phoenix. She brought up a photo on her phone of the puppy – Bingo – who had the same bright, icy eyes as Phoenix. Bingo will be 12 weeks old when he comes down from the north. “We’ll train him to be a campus dog,” Tracey said.