Therapy pets to teach protective behaviours
June 12, 2008 by Megan · 7 Comments
Imaginif is on the hunt for a selection of small therapy pets: guinea pigs, guinea fowl, bantams. Talk doctor Rebekah Allen fostered an abused Puppy from the dog shelter and our child clients loved her. Talk doctor Rebekah used the puppy’s abuse as an introduction to the children’s experience of abuse and as a lead in to protective behaviour conversations. It has worked beautifully and now many of the children greet me not with, “Hello Megan,” but with, “Is Izzy here today?”
Keran over at Birdwing Therapies uses her adorable therapy pup Pabu to build resilience and teach empathy in her child clients. Many nursing homes use dogs as companion healers for lonely and depressed residents. Disability support services frequently encourage the use of animals as therapy. Animals as therapy makes sense.
Rather than get a dog or cat, Imaginif has decided to offer a selection of small therapy animals. I posted a request in Cairns FreeCycle (Yahoo teams with Freecycle to turn junk into treasure) and have this morning had a response about a same gender guinea pig set. We continue to seek Guinea Fowl (how I love those birds) and Bantams.
Are you in Cairns and do you have some Keats (Guinea Fowl chicks), bantams, or similar small and huggingly portable pet you would be willing to gift to children in therapy at Imaginif? They will be cared for by myself and will live in luxury at the new Imaginif premises. Please contact Megan Bayliss if you can be a childhood hero.
Some pet therapy sites of interest:
Animal Assisted Therapy
Association of Australian Assistance Dogs (Mareeba)
Paws Outdoors (dog walking in Cairns – recommended by Megan Bayliss from Imaginif)
About Megan
Oh Megan that is so exciting! I LOVE animals as therapy! We have had some awesome results with equine therapy – I know of a little miniature horse who needs a new home… He’s very small
I’m sure you’ll find the perfect new additions, and how lucky they will be living with you at the new Imaginif resort!
lol…can you fit the miniature horse in the van for your impending visit? If yes, bring it along…….lol. I was always the kid that bought home all the strays (I once rescued/smuggled two chicks from the science lab at boarding school – took them on the plane in my handbag)
One of our friends does Riding for people with a disability – similar to what you have described on your blog. I have seen amazing conversations open up between rider and horse. It is humbling as a therapist and child protection advocate.
It makes sense to use animals when people have been so badly treated by people – why would some kids even trust a therapist. At Imaginif we work with what works for the child.
I am very excited to tell you that I have just been granted adoptive Mum status to two pretty Bantam chicky babes. I am going to meet them on the weekend and see if they like me…if yes, we will move them to 30 James St as soon as we can. Sue from Autism Qld, if you read this – thank you, thank you, thank you. Your girls will be loved to death.
Hey Megs
My other name is “chook woman” and I have a wonderful contact who is a local bantam breeder and shower of poultry out the Valley who could help out with stocking you up. I need to catch up with Brian as my aged pensioner chooks dont lay much, so I need some newies too! We could make an arvo of it, have cage for collection.
I would not suggest Guinea Fowl though, they are lovely in the garden though!
Pabu sends a woof for making her famous on your blog! She is currently collapsed on the couch lapping up pats. Im coming back as a Tibetan pup next time.
Birdwing
xx
Chook Woman, ey! She’s everywhere, she’s everywhere. I would love to come out to the chook farm with you K. I LOVE doing that sort of thing. Lets make it a date. Boy would love it too if its possible.
Thank you for the woof Pabu. Pabu makes herself famous because she is so very cute.
Today is CHILDHOOD HERO DAY.
Who were your childhood heroes Alison and Keran?
My childhood here was a friend of my parents. He was a Colonel and the Medical Officer in charge of all the Australian army doctors scattered throughout the Southern Hemisphere. We shared a birthday and he used to call me hairy legs. He always listened to what I had to say and used to laugh at my jokes. He was my hero and my external inspiration to do medicine….until one day when he told me a story about something that had happened in Vietnam. Once I associated him with army, war and killing, he lost a little of his hero status. Mum still has sporadic contact with him.
Hey Megan
Your wish is my command! when I get home I will arrange the chook man visit, and drive you and Boy there.
Birdwing
Hey K…..looking forward to it.
Hi Megan, I am trying to organise a guest speaker on animal therapy and some animals for our after school meeting for parents and their kids with disabilities. I am in Redlynch Cairns and thought that you might be able to help me contact someone who could help. My email is lisa_lush2@yaoo.com.au. Thanks.