At a psychiatric hospital unit outside Paris, therapy donkeys are helping patients with mental health conditions recover in a program unique to France. The 19th-century farm buildings and wooded surroundings provide a haven within the Ville-Evrard hospital complex in Neuilly-sur-Marne.
Patients Connect with Donkeys
On a recent Friday, patients took the five donkeys—Nono, Pitou, Oscar, Manolo, and Malraux—for a walk and cared for them. Some confidently lifted their hooves to remove dirt, and many ended the session with a hug. Nathalie, a 60-year-old patient, described the experience as "animal medicine." She said, "When you take medication that helps you relax … it’s exactly the same. It brings relief. You stop thinking about everything else." Patients were identified by first names only to protect their privacy.
Free Sessions as Part of Treatment
Patients attend the sessions free of charge as part of their treatment, funded by France’s public health system. Participants are usually paired with a donkey and, over time, become familiar with each other’s personalities. Audrey Seffar, a nurse at the animal therapy unit, noted Nathalie's significant progress after only a few sessions. "At first, she wouldn’t get out of the cart (provided for people with physical difficulties). But little by little, with encouragement, she did. The animal serves as a mediator. It’s such an extraordinary one that today she was able to leave the cart and stand beside her donkey."
Another patient, Jérôme, 52, said the program helps reduce loneliness. "Talking with people, taking part in activities I wouldn’t normally do, it helps me in my daily life. It helps you break away from the routine of treatment and medication. Staying at home isn’t good for me."
The Donkeys as Emotional Sponges
The first donkeys arrived at Ville-Evrard in 2016 as part of a project launched by Ermelinda and François Hadey. Ermelinda, a nurse specializing in psychiatry, believed in animal therapy benefits and thought donkeys, known for their calm and social nature, would be perfect. Her husband learned to train donkeys for therapy work. Some animals were adopted from shelters after experiencing neglect. "A donkey is very intelligent. It understands things very quickly, but you have to explain slowly," François Hadey said. "Donkeys are calm, serene animals that are generally close to people. Once they’re involved in these interactions, they connect very well with patients. They’re emotional sponges."
Official Status and Expansion
Since 2022, the animal therapy program has had official status as a health care unit, employing three full-time nurses. Volunteers from a nonprofit group help care for the animals. The program has expanded to include guinea pigs, chickens, doves, goats, turtles, and rabbits. Sessions are tailored to patients’ needs, and smaller animals can be brought to hospital rooms. Alicia Fabi, an 18-year-old nursing student, noted that the activity gives patients a chance to leave the hospital environment. "Every time we come back from the activity, they say they feel good, calm and relaxed, and that they enjoyed the outing. That’s really positive." Walking together also allows patients and health workers to develop deeper relationships. "We talk about many different things, their illness, their lives and just about everything else. We don’t focus only on the illness because we don’t want them dwelling on it all the time," Fabi said.
Research Needed for Recognition
Health workers say the sessions are designed as therapeutic interventions for anxiety, depression, autism, schizophrenia, and other conditions. They can help improve emotional regulation, communication, social interaction, and self-esteem. Ermelinda Hadey explained, "Everything we do with the animals allows us to work with the patient. We work on feeding the animal, which helps us address the patient’s own eating habits. We work on the animal’s hygiene, and by mirror effect, we work on the patient’s hygiene as well." Many patients take intensive treatments, including antipsychotic medications or sedatives, which can make motivation difficult. The relationship with donkeys and other animals plays a crucial role. "It does not replace a doctor or a medical prescription, but it can help patients regain confidence and a sense of self-worth," Hadey said. She emphasized the need for more scientific evaluation to have animal therapy formally recognized as a complementary form of care within the psychiatric community. "To do that, we need research. We have plenty of accounts from patients ... Caregivers who accompany them see the benefits every day as well. But doctors have so many other responsibilities that they don’t necessarily witness it firsthand." At the end of Friday’s session, as patients chatted, a nurse summed up the program’s appeal: "Donkeys are my best colleagues."
