At this psychiatric hospital outside Paris, some patients head to therapy with a donkey by their side.

At Ville-Evrard hospital in Neuilly-sur-Marne, therapy donkeys are part of treatment for people with mental health conditions, in a program described as unique in France. On Friday, patients walked the hospital’s five donkeys, cared for them and, in some cases, hugged them at the end of the session.

“When you take medication that helps you relax … it’s exactly the same,” said Nathalie, a 60-year-old patient who was identified by her first name only to protect her privacy to the Associated Press. “I’d call it animal medicine. It brings relief. You stop thinking about everything else.”

Patients attend the sessions free of charge as part of treatment funded by France’s public health system. They are usually paired with one donkey, Nono, Pitou, Oscar, Manolo or Malraux, and become familiar with each other’s personalities over time.

Audrey Seffar, a nurse at the animal therapy unit, said Nathalie had made strong 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,” Seffar said. “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 sessions help ease isolation.

“Talking with people, taking part in activities I wouldn’t normally do, it helps me in my daily life,” he said. “It helps you break away from the routine of treatment and medication. Staying at home isn’t good for me.”

The first donkeys arrived at Ville-Evrard hospital in 2016 through a project launched by Ermelinda and François Hadey. Ermelinda Hadey is a nurse specializing in psychiatry and said donkeys, known for their calm and social nature, were well suited to the work. François Hadey learned how to train them for therapy sessions. Some were adopted through shelters after neglect or mistreatment.

“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.”

Since 2022, the animal therapy program has had official status as a health care unit in the hospital, which allows it to employ three full-time nurses. Volunteers from a nonprofit group help care for the animals.

The program now also includes guinea pigs, chickens, doves, goats, turtles and rabbits. Staff tailor sessions to patients’ needs and preferences, and can bring smaller animals to hospital rooms.

Alicia Fabi, an 18-year-old nursing student, said the outings help patients step away from the hospital setting.

“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,” she said.

Fabi said the walks also help patients and health workers build stronger 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,” she said.

Health workers said the sessions are designed as therapeutic interventions for people living with anxiety, depression, autism, schizophrenia and other conditions. Staff said the work can help improve emotional regulation, communication, social interaction and self-esteem.

“Everything we do with the animals allows us to work with the patient,” Ermelinda Hadey said. “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.”

Hadey said many patients take intensive treatments, including antipsychotic medications or sedatives, which can make it hard to find the motivation to join activities. She said work with donkeys and other animals can help, but does not replace medical care.

“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 said the program still needs more scientific evaluation and that the team wants animal therapy to be formally recognized by the psychiatric community as a complementary form of care.

“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,” she said.

At the end of Friday’s session, a nurse summed it up simply: “Donkeys are my best colleagues.”

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