animals THAT CHANGE LIVES
What do Chuck Norris the pig, Rojo the llama, Elroy the golden Lab, Confetti the mini horse and Cezar the cockatoo have in common? They’re all service animals who just want to help their humans live their best lives. Here are their stories.
Meet the critters (dogs, llamas, miniature horses, pigs, birds!) that help their humans thrive
The lunch crowd at the Country Cabin in Jacksonville, Fla., was tucking in for a meal when an unusual patron walked into the restaurant.
It was a miniature horse, just under three feet tall. Walking on a leash.
The horse’s human, Cheryl Spencer, introduced Confetti, who is Spencer’s guide horse, to her fellow diners. Confetti, an 18-year-old mare, goes everywhere with Spencer, who is blind: to her job, on planes, on the city bus, to the doctor.
They even went to a Tom Jones concert last year.
Confetti’s job is to be Spencer’s eyes. “When I need her, she’s with me,” Spencer says. “I couldn’t be as independent without her.”
Animals and humans have worked together since we lived in caves, but the latest wave of furry and feathered helpers takes the animal-human relationship to a new level, says Jessi Gold, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis. “The idea that animals can help emotional health is definitely more widespread,” she says.
Can they really help? At least one study confirms that therapy animals can improve our social and communication skills, ease our anxiety, brighten our mood and make us more empathetic. Other studies show that just hanging out with a friendly dog lowers our stress: our breathing gets more regular, our heartbeat slows down and our muscles relax.
You may feel more relaxed just reading about some of these animals who are making lives better.
Many of the 50 or so kids Bush sees have trouble connecting to others. They’re withdrawn and fearful, and hesitant to trust. “Chuck bridges the gap,” Bush says. “He comes up wagging his tail and nudging the kids with his nose, and their barriers melt.” The kids take care of Chuck, feeding him and walking him. It teaches them empathy and independent living skills, Bush says. “He’s a catalyst for them to pick up life skills.”
Chuck works 15 to 20 hours a week. He has an employee badge, with his photo and name, that he wears on his harness. He’s the ultimate ice breaker, entertaining the kids by ringing a bell on cue, and he can sit, stay and come, just like a dog.
Why a pig? “Pigs have an ability to empathize, they’re highly intelligent and they’re good with children and old people,” Bush says. The novelty of a therapy pig trumps a more predictable animal like a dog, she says. Because how can you resist a wiggly spotted pig who likes hugs? Chuck’s therapy certiwcation training included an obedience class, which he took along with a gaggle of dogs. Chuck wnished the class two weeks before his canine classmates. “He mastered the skills much faster than the dogs,” Bush says.
Take that, border collies.