Our Story
New Leash Dog Salon is an initiative of Hope Network, providing supported employment pathways for women rebuilding their lives after justice-system contact and the significant barriers that follow it. More than just a salon for dogs, it's a place where women can take powerful steps towards a brighter future.
The support behind every fresh start.
For many women, their connection with Hope Network begins during their time in the justice system. Hope Network has been working with women for over 79 years, offering consistent, trauma-informed support to women in prison and beyond. Their work laid the foundation for New Leash.
At New Leash, we're proud to be part of what comes next, helping women turn hope into action through employment, skill-building and community connection. We know that trust and opportunity change everything.
Many post-release programs struggle to reach the women who need them most. In Victoria, nearly 40% of women return to prison within two years. But through Hope Network's model of continuity and care, that number drops to just 5%, delivering nearly two million dollars in social value each year. This model works because it responds to what women need to rebuild their lives: housing, employment, mentoring, parenting support, emotional care, and a genuine connection to community.
Did you know that nine out of 10 women in prison are survivors of violence, abuse, and disadvantage?
New Leash: One of the pathways forward
Hope Network walks alongside women. New Leash creates one of those pathways forward.
New Leash Dog Salon is proud to turn that support into real employment. Here, women build skills in dog styling, customer service and administration, alongside confidence, structure and stability. With a job comes not just income, but a foothold for the future.
We offer more than employment, we offer a chance to rebuild, to belong, and to thrive. We show up, we stay the course, and we walk alongside women for as long as we are needed.
At New Leash, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to shape a new future. Their story is theirs to share, if they choose.
“Honestly, I just wanted somewhere I could work without feeling judged. That's what drew me to New Leash. Finding a job was one of the hardest things when I was released into the community. Working here has helped me push through the barriers, feel empowered, and learn skills I didn't even know I had.
Growing up, there was a lot of trauma. Hope Network and the More Than a Home Program was the first real foothold I've had in a long time, and this job was the next. Every day feels like I'm moving forward. I'm working toward my Certificate III in dog grooming at the moment, and I actually feel like this could be a real career for me, not just a job.
Having work where I don't have to hide parts of my life, that's huge for my self-worth. Being on a corrections order, it's hard to feel normal most days. But here, people get it. I can just say "I've got to go to my parole appointment" without feeling ashamed about it.
Being seen for the work I do, not where I've come from or my criminal record (CRN), means everything. It's like a sisterhood here, everyone leans on each other. It's given me so much more confidence in myself and where I'm heading.
Hope Network has changed pretty much every part of my life, having a home to come to, my job, my future. That's what I want to do too, be a mentor to other women coming through what I went through. My hope is that one day there's a New Leash 2, and I'd love to be the one managing it. That's what I'm working toward.”
— Tiffany