Dogs and donkeys called to heal trauma
Animal-assisted therapy works wonders with brutalised children
THE 16-year-old had spent most of her life caged and used as a sex slave.
The process of healing was fraught. She didn’t talk and was torn apart by violence.
“She was non-verbal, she had no education, she was exceptionally violent, self-harming and ripped apart,” says therapist Annemie Daly.
But an encounter with a donkey changed everything.
The 16-year-old’s story is one of the most shocking cases encountered by Daly, an advocate of animal-assisted therapy.
On her first meeting with Daly, the girl broke her silence with laughter after she was naturally drawn to a quirky donkey named Don Quixote — or “Dr Phil”, as many of the therapists call him.
“When she came around the corner and he came around the corner, she laughed . . . I didn’t put any pressure on her . . . they spent the day together . . . she then asked if she could come back tomorrow,” said Daly.
Animal-assisted therapy, believed to have miraculous healing powers, is gaining momentum.
Daly works with a range of troubled children — from victims of human trafficking and sexual abuse, to those who come from broken homes or have special needs.
Daly does not limit the types of animals she uses — dogs, horses, donkeys and even chickens. “It’s a non-invasive therapy strategy that allows a child to be a child,” says Daly. And she sees the results every day.
Her not-for-profit organisation, SixtyOneThree Trust, in Somerset West, in the Western Cape, is busy with several children who are vulnerable or have experienced trauma.
With various volunteers, they work with vulnerable children nationally.
Daly also recently opened a school in Somerset West, the Oak Tree Academy, that deals with special-needs children.
Gangsterism is another common problem that she has dealt with among children.
She explains how she worked with boys who were from the rival 26 and 28 gangs — but were placed in the same foster home.
Animals were used to assist the boys in overcoming gang identities.
Two of Daly’s most prized animal therapy dogs are Jet, a Swiss shepherd, and Phoebe, a brown labrador.
They can be used to treat children who are suicidal or suffering from depression and are also used as protectors of children who have been raped.
Jet accompanies children who have been raped to court and often he senses when they feel intimidated and acts as a shield against their attackers.
Phoebe is able to pick up on
Danni [the dog] is often used by children to project their thoughts
children who have seizures and assists children through the trauma of preparing to testify in court.
“Phoebe goes through everything with the child, as they are often in a state of trauma and cannot process what they have been through,” says Daly.
She adds that there is a train- ing process that must be followed before an animal is suitable for animal therapy.
Another organisation that makes use of animal-assisted therapy is Jelly Beanz, also an NGO, run by social worker Edith Kriel.
Kriel, who has been in the child trauma field for 22 years, waited for three years to get her Newfoundland “bear dog”, Danni, as there are only three breeders in South Africa.
“She intuitively, instinctively picks up their energy . . . for example, when a child is sad, Danni is quiet, and when a child is hyperactive, she gets excited,” Kriel says.
“Danni is often used by children to project their thoughts or feelings, which gets the conversation started for therapy.”
She adds: “Animals create those sorts of moments that no amount of skilled therapeutic process could allow me to make.”