When Dory pads into the Canberra Capitals training sessions, the players' eyes light up.
The labrador visits training sessions with her owner Jon Pratt, the venue manager for the Tuggeranong Indoor Sports Stadium, where the team often trains.
"There's so many players that have come from interstate, who have left families and pets and things like that," Pratt says.
"When Dory walks in, [you see] the eyes light up, memories of being at home."
"So she's filled up a bit of a niche and a role for some of the players."
Dory first began visiting the Capital's training sessions as part of her initial training to become a guide dog.
Pratt and his wife Denise were tasked with training Dory up, and wanted to give her some exposure to people and noise, as part of the process.But it became clear pretty early on, that Dory was a little too good at socialising.
"She's the most loving dog you're ever going to meet, she just loves to be cuddled and patted," Pratt says.
Recognising Dory's special talent, Guide Dogs Australia decided to send her down another path.
She's been reassigned to be a therapy dog in the ACT Court Canine Support Program, and is due to start her training this year.
It is a decision which has two silver linings: Dory gets to stay with Pratt, and she gets to keep visiting her Canberra Capitals family on days off.
While overall rewarding, caring for guide dogs can present challenges, when, after having formed a bond with a dog, it comes time to say goodbye.
So what keeps the Pratts going, when it's time to bid farewell to a furry friend?
"It's just part of community service really, it's giving back something that people need," he says.
"To me that's what it's about."
"We're just in a lucky spot, we actually get to look after Dory now."
It is this community-mindedness that keeps Jon bringing Dory to training sessions.
And it does make a difference to the players.
Guard Sherrie Calleia met Dory for the first time last September, and the pair hit it off immediately.
"It was an immediate connection, I just love dogs," Calleia says.
"But she just reminds me of my old dog, Bear, who passed away last year," she added.
"The way she like plays with the basketballs reminds me of him," she laughs.
She's not the only fan, many of the players rush to greet Dory the moment training finishes.
And others share similar stories to Calleia, catching glimpses of family dogs across the country or lost to them when they look at Dory.
"They love having Dory, pre-training and post-training, where she gets to sit with them, and she'll just put her head in their lap," Pratt says.
"And she does that, with great aplomb, actually."
"It was pretty evident she was a people's dog, not an individual [dog]," he says.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
