How does Animal Angels foster happiness in both animals and people?
At Animal Angels, adults and children living in distress and crisis discover the remarkable healing benefits of animal companionship.
The dedicated staff at Animal Angels are leaders and pioneers in establishing AAI (Animal Assisted Intervention) as a complementary therapeutic approach to conventional medical and psychological treatment. Many of the animals they have rescued from human abuse have, in turn, become important facilitators of human recovery and rehabilitation. The animals become the therapeutic bridge for patients, helping them learn to be empathetic and caring, and giving them a sense of feeling loved and valued. As a result, they feel calmer and less anxious and it has a remarkable impact on their self esteem, verbal communication and social skills.
Animal Angels works across every community in Israel with their shared compassion for people and animals transcending all social, religious and political barriers.
Every story matters
MEET SHMUEL
Shmuel was a Holocaust Survivor whose traumatic experiences in the concentration camps left him with severe PTSD. He barely spoke over the years despite many efforts to encourage verbal communication.
However, an introduction to Animal Angels changed everything for him. He became particularly fond of a kitten called Chanel who would invariably choose his lap as her place of comfort and security during music therapy sessions. Shmuel, in turn, would hold her and stroke her to the sound of the music. When the music stopped, the only sound that would be heard was Chanel’s happy, soothing purring.
Then one day, Shmuel stood up holding Chanel in his arms and gently rested his ear to her body. He was smiling and crying and suddenly spoke saying ‘She is sad and alone and afraid. She calls for her mother to come back and find her, but she will never come back again.” It was the first time any of the staff and patients had heard Shmuel speak and for Shmuel, the experience helped reconnect him with his childhood and memories of happier times before the Holocaust had shattered his life.
Chanel continued to be a huge comfort to Shmuel until he passed away and his willingness to speak grew during their time together. This is the miracle of the human-animal bond and the reason why so many people are able to channel their emotions positively at Animal Angels in a way they have never been able to before.
