It’s puppy love at the UAE’s new animal therapy centre Sense

Rym Ghazal visits a centre in Sharjah that will use animal interaction to improve human well-being.

From left to right, Kevin, Vanessa, Aryan and Ryan pet a horse at Al Tamimi Stables in Sharjah. Next week the facility will be used as part of a new animal-assisted therapy programme. Photos by Lee Hoagland / The NationalShow less

By simply entering a room, the UAE’s latest resident has managed to make everyone smile and forget their problems.

She may be smaller than everyone else, a bit on the furry side and walks on all fours, but Chubby, a brown-and-white cocker spaniel is a “therapy animal” and she comes carrying a special business card in one of her vest pockets.

The card announces Chubby’s favourite toy: a ping-pong ball. Favourite activity: rolling over. Favourite treat: stinky salmon. And this young eight-and-half-month-old dog’s greatest accomplishment is “becoming a therapy animal”.

She picks up her paw to give you a handshake and then puts her face in your lap, gazing at you with soulful puppy eyes, encouraging you to pet her and play with her.

She is one of a group of animal and bird therapists belonging to Sense, a rehabilitative initiative based on animal-assisted therapy, which will be launched in Dubai on Sunday in conjunction with Al Tamimi Stables, an eco-friendly farm and education centre in Sharjah.

“She is so loving and so social, whereby simply being herself, she interacts and connects with people and makes them feel better inside as well as makes them move and socialise with her,” says Zahra Poonawala, a clinical psychologist working at Sense. “You can’t stay depressed with Chubby around.”

Chubby is joined by Rua, a beige Labrador, whose favourite toy is a tennis ball, and enjoys shaking hands and loves a steak bone. Other therapist animals include Ginger, a local Arabian Mau cat, Bianca the goat, Blondie the pony, Tony the macaw, Billy the naughty cockatoo, Owen the guinea pig (named after a little boy who comes to visit him every week) and Squidgy Bob the rabbit. And they are still recruiting more furry therapists.

“There is a therapy animal for every case and need,” says Poonawala. “For instance, for hyper[active] children, we bring fish, as by simply looking at them and meeting them, they calm down and start to focus. While grooming a horse would help motivate children with cerebral palsy through braiding a horse’s hair, feeding it, and would create recreational benefits as well. Leading a horse helps a child with low self-esteem improve and build on their leadership skills and self-confidence.”

Chubby is not just friendly to humans, but tries to say hello and connect with all the animals on the 12-hectare farm of Al Tamimi Stables, which has more than 500 animals. With The National close behind, Chubby gives a tour of the animals and birds on the grounds.

She goes over to say hello to a group of ostriches, which aren’t very friendly, then she runs over to a stray cat, which seems confused over what Chubby wants, a sheep that rubs against Chubby, a cow that snorts at her and, finally, a family of donkeys; Chubby greets each with a sniff and a lick. The camels welcome Chubby as well, depending on their mood. The farm also has ducks, chickens, deers and oryx.

Visitors can come to Al Tamimi Stables (located off E311 highway, exit 81, Al Helio) and meet the therapy animals there, as well as other animals as part of the petting farm, or have the therapy animals visit at home, school or special needs centres and old people’s homes. Depending on what is needed, the visiting therapist can charge about Dh200 for a basic session with 20 children, costing each child about Dh10. More detailed educational sessions cost about Dh450, while the petting farm at the stables costs Dh65 per person.

While there have been animal-related rehabilitation programmes launched from time to time across the UAE, including a riding programme at Dubai Police’s stables for autistic and special-needs children, swimming with dolphins at the Dubai Dolphinarium and several petting farms such as Posh Paws, Sense is the first organisation dedicated to animal-assisted therapy that comes to you and conducts programmes specified to the needs of the client.

“This initiative is aimed at using animals for human wellness and improving quality of life for people in the UAE by providing enriching interaction with animals and nature in a therapeutic environment under the vigilance of qualified health professionals,” says Aditi Sen, the general manager and founder of Sense.

“Sense is based on the concept that the natural environment has a positive influence on an individual’s overall health and animals provide unconditional love and acceptance to people.”

Sen explains the animals used for the therapy have to be “specially trained” and need to have the right temperament.

“The animal is trained to work with strangers, accept touch from various new people, accept groups of children or adults around it, control itself and not be aggressive in any situation.”

Sense won The Big Start competition in 2013 in Dubai, during its third season, where Sen pitched her idea to Al Tamimi Investments’ board – it was taken up and has been growing ever since.

“This competition gave me a chance to combine my passion and love for animals and desire to give back to the community. With the increased number of cases of autism, depression and obesity, the three problems plaguing the UAE, I felt people needed access to alternate health care: nature-based therapies,” she says.

Animal and bird therapists have already been making their rounds at schools as well as completing a “Furry Friends” visit programme at the Child Learning and Enrichment Medical Centre in Al Wasl.

The programme provided fun-filled and systematic interaction with therapy animals to a group of children with special needs. Children interacted with therapy animals, especially Chubby. They also learnt about gentle handling and identifying different animal behaviour, like how to hold a rabbit or a hamster without hurting them.

Sense also conducted a programme for Odyssey Nursery and a fundraising programme for Al Manzil School for Special Needs.

Sen, who previously worked at Dell in India and comes from a business background, always had a great love for animals. Poonawala, who had been working with animals and children in India, fitted perfectly with Sen’s vision to unite animal therapy and spread awareness about animal welfare.

“I believe that animals are blessed with unique and special capabilities to heal people with their selfless love. They make the best doctors of the heart,” says Sen. “Time spent amidst nature helps me relax, inspires and also motivates me.”

Implemented in the US and Europe, animal-assisted therapy has been studied and recognised for its curative properties and unique quality of helping both children and adults cope with and recover from health problems. Studies have shown it is effective in treating autism, cerebral palsy, Alzheimer’s, as well as children with attention problems and speech disorders.

One of the earliest reported uses of animal-assisted therapy was in the late 18th century at the York Retreat in England, where Dr William Tuke encouraged mentally challenged patients to interact with small domestic animals on the hospital grounds. In 1860, the Bethlem Royal Hospital in London, England, followed the same trend and added animals to the ward, greatly influencing the morale of the patients living there.

In Islamic tradition, interacting and caring for animals such as horses and camels has been encouraged for its healing effects.

“Animal-assisted therapy really helps strengthen and improve a patient’s emotions, endurance, balance, mobility, sensation and social skills. There are overall benefits from simply siting and petting an animal, such as a boost in self-esteem, reduction of stress and anxiety, and combating depression,” says Poonawala.

Research has shown that having pets boosts oxytocin levels in humans – a neurohypophysial hormone known for its calming effect – and also maintains blood ­pressure.

“The animal-assisted therapy is a framework which can be applied to support any traditional therapies such as counselling, speech therapy, play therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy,” says Poonawala.

When dealing with children with special needs, speech disabilities, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, autism and depression, co-therapists, such as Poonawala, initiate the conversation with the child or adult, then engage them with the main animal therapist.

“A simple act like playing fetch with the dog or walking it has such immense positive results on children and adults along,” she says.

To those who have any concern over allergies or illness from the animals, Sen says: “Our therapy pets are regularly screened by veterinarians for health and hygiene. Also, before commencing any therapy programme, we educate people about the concept. We run through real-life incidents in the form of videos for them to grasp a better understanding of the concept.

“From reading to the therapy animals, to playing with them, the crew of therapists are ready to take your call and come and help you in any way they can,” she says. As she speaks, Chubby shows no sign of slowing down, pulling on the leash – she wants to visit the horses next.

• For more information on Sense, contact [e-mail] or call 055 748 3178. To find out more about Al Tamimi stables, go to ­ www.tamimistables.com

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