The Rest Ur Ass Donkey Sanctuary is opening its gates to provide calming therapy sessions after seeing the bond formed between Jaco Viljoen and rescued donkey Domino.
Ruimsig, South Africa (21 September 2023) The Rest Ur Ass Donkey Sanctuary is currently home to 130 rescued donkeys. Each has a name and a story to tell. On Thursdays, those donkeys become therapeutic companions for people in need. The sanctuary has started hosting Donkey Therapy Thursdays due to popular demand from the public.
The sanctuary provides a forever home to abused and abandoned donkeys. The donkeys will all spend the remaining years of their lives at the sanctuary, where they are cared for 24/7. None of the donkeys on the premises are used for rides, work or are allowed to be physically adopted out. They spend the rest of their lives, resting and enjoying the perks of retirement at the sanctuary. Oh and helping others!
Speaking to Lloreen Le Roux, who runs the sanctuary, she shared that the concept of Therapy Thursdays was inspired after meeting Jaco Viljoen (photographed with Domino above) who was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Duchenne’s is a genetic disorder characterised by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness due to the alterations of a protein called dystrophin, that helps keep muscle cells intact.
Jaco loves to visit the donkeys and the donkeys love him dearly. It was clear to Lloreen that there was a benefit to both the rescued donkeys and to Jaco. That is when she decided to establish Therapy Thursdays.
In her research, she found that animal therapy builds on a concept called the human-animal bond, which describes people’s desire to interact with and relate to animals. Sourcing from The Donkey Sanctuary UK and Medical News Today, Llorren read that for many people, interacting with a friendly animal helps to form a bond with them. This bond can produce a calming state in the person.
This bond itself may help the person in several ways, such as:
- reducing boredom
- increasing movement and activity through walks and play
- providing companionship and decreasing loneliness
- increasing social interactions
- improving mood and general well-being
The positive interactions with an animal may lead to benefits in the mind and body, such as reduced stress and an overall more balanced mental and emotional state.
“Research has shown that a donkey’s heart rhythm can synchronize with, and even influence those of a human when they interact. Because these heart rhythms reflect how we’re feeling, a donkey’s calming mood can reduce a person’s anxiety. The limbic system, the part of a donkey’s brain associated with emotion, behaviour, motivation and memory, is the same size as that of a human.
We are hoping that anyone who needs some quiet donkey time, or therapists, who would like to bring their patients to visit with the donkeys, as a part of their journey, will make use of this service.
Interact with the donkeys (brush, hug or chat to them) or have a picnic on the grass.
To maintain a calm environment, we want to manage the number of visitors. It is essential to book a visit on 073 207 6432.”
If you would like to book a quiet session with the donkeys, be sure to reach out. The sessions will run from 10:00 to 14:00 on Thursdays. You can follow the sanctuary on Facebook to learn more about the work being done to support the rescues.
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