Our Story
New Leash Dog Salon is an exciting new initiative of Prison Network, providing a pathway to employment for women with experience of the criminal justice system. More than just a dog grooming salon, it’s a place where women can take powerful steps towards a brighter future.
Did you know that nine out of 10 women in prison are survivors of violence, abuse, and disadvantage?
Women like Amy.
Amy first connected with Prison Network through their craft group in prison. With the support of their dedicated workers, seeds of hope and possibility began to grow, and it started her on a pathway to a new purpose.
Prison Network has been working with women like Amy for over 75 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 Prison Network’s model of continuity and care, that number drops to just 5.5% of women they support.
This model works because it’s shaped by what women actually ask for: housing, employment, mentoring, parenting support, emotional care, and a genuine connection to community.
Today Amy and her dog, Charlie live in their supported housing. She is working, rebuilding her social networks, and hoping to start a counselling course next year, so she can help other women find their way forward too.
Supporting women for a safe and stable future
New Leash Dog Salon is proud to be an initiative born out of Prison Network’s long history of walking with women through and beyond the prison system. We create real employment opportunities. With a job comes skills for the future, greater stability, and stronger community connections.
By opening a pathway to skill development, dignity and direction, New Leash Dog Salon reflects the same commitment to hope, purpose, and long-term change that drives Prison Network. We offer more than employment, we offer a chance to rebuild, to belong, and to thrive.
We’ve seen what is possible with the right support in place. Women involved with Prison Network often leave the justice system for good, reconnect with their children, and begin living independently. This approach breaks cycles and strengthens communities, delivering nearly two million dollars in social value each year. At New Leash, we are proud to carry that work forward. We show up, we stay the course, and we walk alongside women for as long as we are needed.