From Rescue Puppies to Rescue Kittens: Our Newcastle Collaborations
Our Newcastle programme has made room for something beyond regular puppy yoga. In August and September 2026, we worked with two rescue organisations on separate sessions: Working Paws Dog Rescue with puppies, and Helping Hearts Rescue with kittens.
They were different experiences, with different animals and practical requirements. What connected them was the opportunity to work with organisations supporting animals in need, while giving our guests a chance to enjoy guided yoga in an unusual setting.
Helping Hearts Rescue: a different kind of visitor
On 27 September 2026, our Newcastle rescue kitten yoga session took place at The Base Studio, 3 Tudor Street, Newcastle West NSW 2302, in collaboration with Helping Hearts Rescue.
A kitten session requires more than replacing the word 'puppy' in the instructions. Kittens need suitable litter facilities, quiet places to hide and a carefully checked room without accessible gaps, cords or hazards. Staff also need to recognise when a kitten would rather be left undisturbed.
Guests still take part in a guided yoga session, but the animals choose whether to investigate people, play nearby or retreat. A kitten deciding to hide isn't a problem that needs to be solved. It's a normal behaviour we need to respect.
Working Paws Dog Rescue: rescue puppies in Maryville
On 22 August 2026, we collaborated with Working Paws Dog Rescue for a Newcastle rescue puppy yoga day at Profile Studio, 9/6 Portside Crescent, Maryville NSW 2293.
The partnership directed $650 to Working Paws Dog Rescue. That is a concrete contribution to the organisation's wider rescue work, not simply a nice photograph from the day. We've also written about our wider animal rescue fundraising across Australia, which includes earlier Newcastle rescue activity.
For puppy sessions like this, we work with the animals' carers and maintain our usual supervision. The puppies can explore, engage with people or retreat and rest. We don't treat interaction as something they have to provide on command.
Why we make space for rescue collaborations
Working with rescue organisations brings another purpose to an experience that people already enjoy. It gives us an opportunity to contribute to local rescue work and to include animals whose carers have agreed that the setting is appropriate for them.
The sessions are not animal sales or pop-up adoption shops. Animal welfare remains central, and we don't make assumptions about whether a rescue animal will want to meet every guest. The organisations remain responsible for their own rescue and rehoming processes.
We take the same approach to the animals whether they're joining us through a rescue organisation or a carefully selected breeder: suitable care, supervision, appropriate handling and somewhere quiet to rest.
Different venues, the same careful planning
These Newcastle collaborations also happened in two different neighbourhoods. The Working Paws day was held in Maryville, while the Helping Hearts kittens joined us in Newcastle West. Our schedule can include different Newcastle studios and session formats, so checking the venue attached to your booking is important.
If you're interested in upcoming puppy yoga or any future rescue sessions, the Newcastle puppy yoga page is where you'll find our current dates and availability.
We're grateful to have been able to work with Working Paws Dog Rescue and Helping Hearts Rescue. The animals and their needs are different, but the reason these collaborations matter to us is much the same.
