Charlie puts in the hard yards

A special four-legged member of Bunbury Senior High School will be working on his fitness this month to help raise money for Youth Focus.

The school’s service dog, Charlie, is walking for 30 minutes every day of September for the Youth Focus Lavan Legal Fit30 challenge.

During the first lunch period each day, Charlie and his carer take donations from students as they walk laps of the school oval.

Student support officer Danelle Field said the school’s participation in the challenge reflected its recognition of the growing need for mental health support for students.

“It’s important we help support the likes of Youth Focus and get more counsellors in schools,” Mrs Field said.

“Mental health is such a big thing.”

Youth Focus is a non-profit organisation that works to help people aged 12-25 overcome mental health issues like depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.

Mrs Field said the challenge was a good opportunity for both Charlie to expend some of his boundless energy and for students to get active with him.

“He loves being out and being involved,” she said.

“He’s the breed of dog that needs a bit of extra exercise.”

Mrs Field said having a school dog certainly had its benefits and the school was “pretty proud” to be one of the few schools with one.