Farmer up for national rural women’s award

NOMINATED for the national AgriFutures Rural Woman of the Year award is Dunkeld’s Kelly Barnes, founder of Mates Working Dog Training School. Smiling with her dogs, Jess and Dugald, Kelly is dedicated to providing ways for rural people to build resilience and connectedness in their communities. The award will be announced online tomorrow. Photo: LAUREN HAY.

By Mark Rabich

October 18, 2021 | 2:02 PM

DUNKELD farmer Kelly Barnes is up for a prestigious award online tomorrow as a result of an innovative program using dog training to also break down social barriers and aid mental health.

Ms Barnes is passionate about boosting the resilience of her local community by building connections through animals.