These are the most wholesome moments showing animals healing human beings

Animals are natural healers. I have worked as a zootherapist (A.K.A. animal-assisted therapy, Pet therapy worker) for several years. My job consisted of training animals as well as constantly updating my knowledge on mental health and traveling from place to place to help people who suffer from mental illnesses, trauma and stress feel better. I often took records of my experiences out there in the field. Here are some of the wholesome moments that I recorded over the years.

Roxy is a rescue that had several homes before me. She has been working as a therapy dog since 2016 and is now a happy, lazy retired girl. She brought happiness to many people. In this picture, she is comforting an elderly lady.

Contrary to some people’s beliefs, not only dogs make great therapy animals. This is because everyone is different. One person might be a dog person, another a cat person, another a baby chicken person.

This little owl pigeon was also a rescue. She loved people’s company and often travelled with me to the elderly homes. Loneliness is a big problem in those places, and her presence was very soothing.

Exam period can be very stressful for students. Here is a picture of Zelda the ferret during a pet therapy session in a school. The students came to see the animals before the exams started and were able to relax during this stressful time.

A common problem I experienced when visiting the elderly, is that many lose motivation to even step out of their rooms and socialize. In this picture, I convinced this little lady to take Zelda for a walk and she did. This little ferret helped this lady rediscover the world outside of her lonely bedroom.

While many people are afraid of rats, they actually make amazing therapy animals. They are smart, sweet, soft, clean, and do really well with all sorts of people who don’t want to interact with dogs or cats.

This is a therapy parrot under a student’s desk bringing loads if smiles in the classroom.

This is a troubled child enjoying the presence of a hen.

I have worked with many children who suffer from ADHD and had difficulties sitting down during class time. Here is Zelda the ferret helping the child sit still throughout the lesson.

This is a picture of Pumba the pig, while he was still young, comforting a patient suffering from schizophrenia.

Here is another picture of Pumba the pig, working with a very different clientelle. In this instance, it was helping troubled kids in a school.

Bianca the ferret is bringing a smile and a soothing moment to a person confined to a hospital bed.

This was a moment between a terminally ill person and Roxy the therapy dog.

Here is another regular patient that Roxy often visited. She often comforted patients that were confined to their hospital beds.

This is little mouse, the cat, who was always overjoyed to take walks in the hallways and visit all the patients. Little mouse was a rescue.

A lovely soothing moment between a little Rat and a person with down syndrome who was experiencing distress at that moment.

This is a lady who bent down to kiss Roxy. She was always so happy to see her and showed up for every group pet therapy session.

Just a wholesome moment between a man and a rat.

Roxy comforting a child who suffered from PTSD.