Children who have experienced trauma often find it difficult to articulate or name their feelings and traditional therapy can sometimes feel too overwhelming.
Healing doesn’t always begin with words.
Sometimes, it begins with a nudge from a therapy dog, the steady grooming of a pony, the stroking of a cat or a rabbit curled quietly in a child’s lap.
That’s the gentle, evidence-based power of animal-assisted therapy (AAT).
🧠 Why It Works: The Science of Connection
Animals as Therapy is supported by compelling neuroscience:
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Oxytocin (“the bonding hormone”) is released through nurturing touch, helping a child feel safe and soothed
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Cortisol, the stress hormone, decreases with animal interaction—reducing anxiety and emotional flooding
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Co-regulation occurs when a child subconsciously mirrors the calm breathing and presence of a therapy animal, helping them regulate their own emotions
“Animal-assisted therapy provides a safe space for children to explore trust, develop empathy, and reconnect to their senses—all without having to say a word.”
— Dr. Sam Carr, University of Bath
🧷 Attachment to Animals: A Safe Haven for Healing
Attachment theory tells us that early relationships shape how we love, trust, and manage emotions. For children who have experienced trauma, those attachment templates are often fractured.
Animals can offer a unique path to repair:
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Unconditional acceptance – Connection without judgment or expectation
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Safe haven & secure base – Emotional refuge and confidence to explore
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Nonverbal communication – Comfort through presence, not pressure
“Animals provide a judgment-free, stable relationship that offers neither betrayal nor emotional ambiguity.”
— Psychologs
The secure attachment a child may form with a therapy animal can be the first step toward rebuilding trust in relationships.
🌀 Circle of Security & Animals: A Shared Language of Safety
The Circle of Security is a caregiving model that helps children feel secure enough to explore the world—and safe enough to return when they need comfort. Therapy animals often reflect this cycle beautifully:
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As a secure base, they encourage confidence to take emotional or social risks
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As a safe haven, they provide calm and grounding when the world feels overwhelming
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Through simple “being with”, they offer attunement without judgment
“Whether it’s a baby reaching for their parent or a puppy nudging your hand for reassurance, the drive for connection runs deep. This isn’t just a human thing—it’s a mammal thing.”
— Circle of Security International
🐾 Real Lives, Real Impact – Amazing Animals
These stories show how animals support emotional recovery and create safe relationships for children who have experienced trauma:
- Amira & Toby – After multiple failed placements, Amira whispered, “He’s the only one who doesn’t leave.”
🔗 Read more - Eli & Sunshine – A withdrawn boy found calm simply by sitting beside a therapy rabbit
🔗 Read more - Rani & Blaze – After domestic violence, Rani found emotional safety in grooming and caring for a pony
🔗 Read more - Jasper the Golden Retriever – Supported an autistic child with social confidence
🔗 Read more - Daisy the Hospital Hero – Lifted a young cancer patient’s spirits during treatment
🔗 Read more - Bailey the Rescue Dog – Anchored a man’s recovery from addiction
🔗 Read more - Takoda the Gentle Giant – Provided stress relief to students through campus visits
🔗 Read more - Moose the Rescue – Offered calm and care to patients and students in high-stress settings
🔗 Read more - Mrs. Thompson & the Memory Dogs – Reignited speech and joy in a woman with dementia
🔗 Read more
📍 Accessing Animal-Assisted Therapy in the UK
These trusted organisations offer therapy sessions and animal-assisted experiences—many based in Surrey or the South East:
| Organisation | Location | Services Offered |
| Elysian Animal Assisted Therapy | Guildford, Surrey | Equine and farm-based therapy, therapeutic education, and outreach for children and young people |
| PAWS: People & Animal Wellbeing Services | Bracknell (near Surrey) | Animal-assisted support in homes, schools, and therapeutic settings |
| Kids Critters | Dorking, Surrey | Exotic animal interaction sessions and SEN-focused therapeutic visits |
| Therapaws | Bracknell | Canine hydrotherapy and therapeutic support |
| Buddy Dog | South London | Trauma-informed therapy dog sessions |
| Pets As Therapy (PAT) | UK-wide | Volunteer-led pet visits to schools, hospitals, and care homes |
| The Donkey Sanctuary | UK-wide | Equine-assisted learning and outreach programmes |
| Therapy Dogs Nationwide | UK-wide | National network of trained therapy dog volunteers |
| Mayhew – TheraPaws | Greater London | Pet therapy visits to schools, homes, and community groups |
You can ask your supervising social worker, Virtual School head, or SEND team about referral routes and funding options for AAT in your area.
🐕 Final Thoughts
For children who have experienced trauma, a therapy animal may be the first safe connection they’ve ever known. The kind that doesn’t expect perfection or explanations—just presence.
Animal-assisted therapy doesn’t erase the past. But it offers a doorway to healing, trust, and emotional repair. Sometimes, it begins with the wag of a tail, or a paw held out.
If you would like to find out more about fostering and the amazing difference you could make in a young persons life. Give usa call on 0203 757 0070 or click HERE to receive a call back. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have on fostering and take you through the process.