Animals & Us
Caroline Brunne
Caroline learned that healing from childhood abuse means holding complexity, and that a dog's quiet presence can teach you what you need to know about time.
You don't have to be in crisis to call.
Caroline grew up in a large Mauritian family where cousins were constant and safety felt secure. At 10, a family member she trusted began abusing her over four years. She coped by shrinking herself, becoming the good girl, always trying to keep the abuser happy. That survival skill, fawning, became a lifelong pattern of people-pleasing that exhausted her well into adulthood.
At 16, during an argument, the secret spilled out. The support offered afterward wasn't specialized or right for what she needed. She held the abuse locked away for decades, guarded and closed off even around people who saw her every day. In 2020, at a breaking point, Caroline told her younger sister the truth. She needed authenticity in their relationship, wanted to protect the next generation, and knew she couldn't survive keeping it hidden anymore. She went on to write a memoir and became a survivor coach. Some family members went silent; a handful stayed close. The loss became a grief she hadn't anticipated.
In December 2020, during Melbourne's hardest lockdowns, a Border Collie puppy named Louie arrived at her home. While writing her memoir, Louie sat at her feet. He became her constant during the work of going back through her life. Now an accredited therapy dog, Louie's whole job is simple: greet people, settle them, let them feel safe enough to let their guard down. Caroline has learned from him what healing actually looks like. It takes time. It moves at its own pace, with peaks and valleys. It means slowing down, giving yourself grace, and remembering to rest when you've carried something hard.
⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses grief & loss, which some listeners may find distressing.
If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au • GriefLine: 1300 845 745 · griefline.org.au
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