Possibly one of our most rewarding areas, is our Animal Therapy work.

We have worked extensively with both children and adults with;

Learning Disabilities and Difficulties
Intellectual Disabilities
Professionals suffering from stress related issues
Families with severely ill children

Families and individuals recovering from loss.

 

 

Just a few of our highlights...
Valerie has Down Syndrome and is blind. In her 45 years, she had never expressed emotion, within an hour of working with her, we had her cuddling Jacques our llama. The squeals of delight bought her family and us to tears. Jacques knew his work was important, and simply stood still whilst she cuddled every part of him.

George had never participated in an activity in his life. He simply stared on at the world, trapped in his own body. By the end of his stay here, he laughed for the first time, and had met every objective set by his carers and our staff.

 

Emily was trapped in her body, with no means of communication but you don't need to speak to animals, you can ask them "in your head". We worked all day with Emily, who took the alpacas for a walk, cuddled a camel, and got a horse to touch a ball.

 

Andrew suffered from significant sensory issues, amongst other things. He couldn't wait for his turn to play with the donkey, but when his time came, he struggled to cope with the excitement. Sometimes, you just have to escape, to a room with no interruptions, with few people and little light, sometimes you have to go the extra mile to avoid meltdown. 

 

Sometimes through our work, it's about cherishing the small golden moments, the smile on a face, a moment of silence, a giggle, or the glint in a patients eye.