SAM Magazine—Victoria, Australia, June 24, 2025—Mt. Buller added a new staff member to its ski patrol, 5-month-old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling retriever Chilli, who is poised to pioneer a therapy dog program at the resort. Her handlers are experienced patrollers and married couple Tess Hoinville and Campbell Allen-Craig. 

Hoinville was a driver of the new program. “I’ve been interested in the role of therapy dogs for a while, and after responding to challenging incidents which involved mental health support rather than physical trauma treatment, I saw the potential benefits,” she said. “I put together the research and a proposal to the resort to pioneer this program, and I’m delighted that the community at Mt Buller has embraced it and come onboard to support a trial this winter.”

Hoinville noted that a growing body of research has demonstrated that interaction with therapy dogs can lower cortisol levels (stress) and heart rate, “which can have great benefits in the emergency rooms and first responder settings,” she said.

“Chilli is only in the early stages of her training; however, we are already seeing the potential for how she may be able to assist our guests and the patrol team,” Hoinville added. “The response from the staff on mountain is overwhelmingly positive and our hope is that Chilli will play a role in boosting morale and provide support for our team as well as the public.”

Chilli began her alpine-based training at Mt. Buller during the King’s Birthday weekend, June 7-9 in Australia. This winter (June-August), her handlers are prioritizing obedience and social skills as well as patrol dog skills such as learning to run on the snow between skis and riding the chairlift. “If she enjoys it, and it suits her temperament and work drive, I am hopeful we can progress into therapy dog training and a future role for Chilli where she can comfort people in stressful situations,” said Hoinville. 

“As our patrol celebrates a significant 75-year anniversary this year, it’s fitting that we embrace new ways to support our guests and our team,” said Mt. Buller patrol manager Ed Mahon. “Chilli is the first canine member of the Mt Buller Ski Patrol to pull on a red jacket, and hopefully it’s a successful trial and she might not be the last.”

While therapy dog programs are far less common at ski areas than avalanche dog programs, they are growing. This winter, in Michigan, two patrollers at Mt. Brighton and Belmont piloted programs. They wrote an article for the Winter 2024 issue of the National Ski Patrol’s Ski Patrol magazine with guidelines for other patrollers looking to implement therapy dog programs.

Retired avy dogs have also long served unofficially in this capacity, boosting the morale of patrollers and guests who encounter them—technically off duty but still hanging out at home in the patrol shack.