Two robocats and a robodog have arrived at Moreton Bay Region libraries as part of an expanding suite of dementia-friendly programs, with Caboolture Library among the three locations now hosting the lifelike companion animals.
The robo pets are not toys. They are purpose-built therapeutic tools designed to ease anxiety, reduce loneliness and spark genuine emotional connection for people living with dementia and their carers.
Designed to comfort and connect
The companion animals are built with soft fur, gentle movement and simulated heartbeats, qualities that research consistently links to calming effects in people with dementia.
Multiple peer-reviewed studies have found that robotic companion animals reduce anxiety and agitation, improve mood and decrease the need for psychoactive medications in people living with the condition.
Unlike real animals, they require no feeding, no vet visits and carry no risk of scratching or infection — which makes them practical for library settings where many different people interact with them across a week.
Support beyond the robo pets
Caboolture Library sits in the Town Square on the ground floor of the Caboolture Hub, within walking distance of Caboolture train station.
The library has been working with Dementia Australia on a plan to become a fully dementia-friendly organisation, including staff training, inclusive programming and purpose-built collections for people with dementia, their families and carers.
The robo pets join three dementia kits that can be accessed at Caboolture and across the broader library network, or taken out as part of library visits to aged care facilities.
Each kit includes weighted plush comfort dogs, classic board games such as checkers and snakes and ladders, jigsaw puzzles and reminiscence books designed to spark memories and aid cognitive recall.
The weighted comfort dogs work through deep pressure stimulation, similar in effect to a weighted blanket, easing anxiety and reducing evening agitation.
A growing network of dementia support
Redcliffe Library, one of the other two sites hosting a robo pet, also runs the Dementia Sharing Circle — a welcoming drop-in space where people living with dementia, their care partners and loved ones can connect over a cuppa with support from a dementia doula, a non-clinical support professional trained to accompany people through the dementia journey.
The seven other libraries in the Moreton Bay network can also borrow the robo pets as part of the dementia kits, broadening access well beyond the three permanent host locations.
“People living with dementia and their carers often experience significant social isolation as a result of their diagnosis, so coming to the library and interacting with other people through a fun and playful activity like this can assist in improved feelings of wellbeing,” a spokesperson said. “Coupled with our dementia kits, this initiative offers another way for people to rebuild important connections with the outside world.”
For more information on dementia-friendly library programs, click here.
Published 6-July-2026
Featured Image Credit: Supplied
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