Are the animal forced to do therapy?

When the animals first come to us, they are often damaged emotionally, physically, and spiritually. We give them the physical care they need to heal their bodies and then allow them space to be who they wish to be.

Sometimes, like Rosita the Cow, her heart and trust in humans are badly broken and may take years for her to fully heal. She lives peacefully at our Healing Center up the road and gets infrequent visitors. We would never force her to do anything she is uncomfortable with (except absolutely necessary vet care if she needs it).

One cow you'll meet if you do Cow Hug Therapy is John Lewis Thunderheart, he was born in a slaughterhouse and has overcome his trauma, however, he is a bouncy, bonky puppy-cow-teen who can be on the dangerous side even though he just wants to play -- yes, we're able to identify aggression versus playtime. We never sedate him to fit our needs; he will simply spend some time in his bedroom with his favorite stuffed animals.

All the animals in our therapy programs have seen the worst of humanity and have all overcome their pain and fears. They all know they are safe and loved, but more importantly, they have found a job and purpose.