Donkeys named Nono and Pitou are calming psychiatric patients

A psychiatric hospital outside Paris is expanding a donkey therapy program after patients and staff reported steady improvements in care. Every Friday at the Ville-Evrard complex in Neuilly-sur-Marne, patients visit a wooded farm sanctuary to spend time with donkeys named Nono, Pitou, and others, who pull carts, offer their hooves for cleaning, or simply nuzzle the people who need it. Attendance is free. "Talking with people, taking part in activities — I don’t have that in my daily life," said Jerome, 52. "Staying at home isn\'t good for me." Ermelinda Hadey, a psychiatric nurse, and her husband Francois launched the project, and the first trained donkeys arrived in 2016. It has since grown to include goats, rabbits, and doves. Nursing student Alicia Fabi, 18, told the Associated Press patients return calm. The hospital now wants formal research done, hoping to offer the practice nationwide. The donkeys, bred to carry heavy loads, find the work no trouble at all.