She might be small but little dog Missy is making a big impact on the people around her, making friends and helping break down barriers of isolation and loneliness.
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Since COVID-19, McCallum residents have been going for walks near their Delacombe home and on one amble they met neighbour Maree Lee doing some gardening in her front yard with her shih-tzu x Australian terrier Missy by her side.
That chance meeting sparked a friendship and many conversations which has led to residents now taking Missy for walks around the block several times a week.
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They even take her back to their house to play and if anyone is still in bed Missy jumps up to wake them and get extra attention.
Not only have the residents found new joy interacting with Missy, they've made a new friend in Ms Lee who visits them at their home, and they've met other neighbours who stop to talk to them during their walks.
"They just came past when I was out in the garden and Missy was with me, and Eva, that day, just bonded with Missy," Ms Lee said.
"Now they ring the doorbell if I'm not outside, and out goes Missy for a walk with them. They go around the block then come back to their house ... it's so good to know that Missy has bought love to other people."
McCallum Disability Services accommodation manager Trevor Miller said Missy bought joy to the ladies living in the supported accommodation and helped over isolation.
"They were out walking around the community, getting exercise, and this relationship started over the fence and developed to the point where Missy now visits and some of the girls take her for walks," he said.
"We are not any different to anyone else wanting to be engaged, get out, meet people, explore things. COVID has been a tough time for a lot of people and isolating for many in the community. "
The importance of connection with neighbours has been reinforced through a new global study which found knowing as few as six neighbours reduces feelings of loneliness and improves wellbeing.
Even chatting over a fence has been shown to improve mood and connection.
The Nextdoor KIND Challenge had participants perform small acts of kindness in their communities over a month - acts ranging from cheering up or listening to a neighbour to mowing their lawn, providing advice, taking part in a larger neighbourhood effort like a cleanup, or just chatting over the fence.
Nextdoor's study found that performing small acts of kindness for neighbours also reduces the likelihood of feeling lonely. While 1 in 10 participants said they experienced feelings of loneliness at the start of the study, the number was reduced to 1 in 20 at completion.
"This global study is the first of its kind," said Swinburne University researcher Dr Michelle Lim, who co-led the study.
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"It's the first randomised controlled trial study examining the impact of kindness on loneliness and social isolation. The fact that we were able to find changes-particularly with relatively small, simple steps that do not cost any money, is remarkable.
Half of all Australians feel lonely at least one day a week and a quarter experience high levels of social interaction anxiety.
"The results of this study prove that knowing our neighbours not only helps our communities, it benefits our health too," Dr Lim said.