30/06/2021
Some lovely words written by one of Zephyr's favorite people 🐾 Derek and Zephyr have a great connection 🐾
Sessions can be provided one-on-one or for small groups of 2-10 people.
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Ennis
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Animal-Assisted Interventions Ireland
Animal-Assisted Interventions Ireland was set up by me, Amy. I have had a lifelong love of animals of all shapes and sizes. I became interested in the therapeutic benefits of animals in my early 20’s. My grandmother was sick and I noticed how much joy she got from interacting with my small rescue dog, Millie. I have always known that animals (especially dogs for me) can help you relax and remain present in the moment but there was something about the interaction of Millie and my grandmother one evening that triggered my curiosity and I began researching how animals can help people.
Like most I had heard of the fantastic work that guide dogs do and the independence they provide their owner. I had seen one or two programs on dogs going to care homes to interact with the residents. After some research I found an Irish organisation that was providing such visitation programs and promptly signed myself and Millie up. Myself and Millie volunteered in a local nursing home once a week for over a year and a half while I began studying Social Care. Seeing the joy and happiness on the resident’s faces from simply sitting and petting Millie or asking her to perform her tricks ignited a passion in me to discover as much information as I could about the use of animals for the physical, social and emotional benefits of people.. Millie provided comfort and cuddles and also encouraged movement and laughter. I soon learnt about the incredible calming effect horses have on some individuals, the lasting bond that dogs can form with individuals they may only visit once a week and even that animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs were being used to encourage reading skills in children.
After leaving college and working in a number of Social Care sectors the opportunity arose for me to study with ELISTA Education in their CPD Animal Therapy Program. In this course I studied the ethical use of many different types of animals, how to ensure the safety of both the individuals and the animals and further developed my understanding of the different types of therapeutic work that can be provided with animals. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and when I passed the exams (accredited through the Institute of Animal Care Education) I began to expand the work I was doing with Animal-Assisted Interventions.
