Our sweet Whippets work with my mother - Ziporet Carmel as therapy dogs and help disabled and mentally retarded people.
Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is an activity that promotes positive human-animal interaction and helps the disabled where conventional therapy can't do.
 

Once a week my mother travels with the whippets  to a special home for retarded people. She arrives  with some of our colourful rabbits, a few long and short haired guinea pigs, and three trained whippets who simultaneously work together and provide some moments of love and enjoyment to people who suffer from Epilepsy, Autistic people, Cp children and disabled and mentally retarded.
 

In each meeting there are some touching moments that warm up the heart. Such as  the mentally retarded M. the Bedouin woman who doesn’t communicate verbally and pushed away the rabbits and guinea pigs. But the first time we put Angelina – the female Whippet – on her wheel chair within seconds  she took interest in her. She gently arranged her front and back feet and within seconds lifted her up and put her on her shoulders. Angelina participated and just sat on M's shoulders gently without moving. 

 

 

Later on it appeared that M. was raised at a cow shed and obviously Angelina reminded her of the little calves  she played with at her early childhood. Since then Angelina is always on her lap or on her shoulders and a big smile appears on M's face.

 

 

Ch. - most of his time he spends sittining. He loves  to hold the leashes of the three Whippets and is very happy and proud of it.  It gives him a feeling of responsibility and  motorically he enjoys caressing and patting them. 
 
 

L. is a Cp Woman who doesn’t communicate with her surroundings at all, but since we placed Apollo- the Whippet male - on her lap she slowly caressed his face, checking  his eyes one by one, touching his nose and mouth and gradually began even opening her tightly closed fist . Now Apollo knows his place and each time jumps on her lap waiting patiently for her to pat him.

 

R. and D. are two women in their late thirties. They sit next to each other in their wheel chairs. They adore our animals and cannot wait to hear the giuena pigs sqeak uponwhich they  smile and laugh heartily. Each of them gets a rabbit and a guinea pig sometimes even two rabbits and two giunea pigs (short and long hair). D. loves to make a pillow out of them placing her head on top . 
 
 

Then two Whippets jump up gently on their chairs. They love holding their leashes while  patting their backs,  thus working on their coordination while moving their hands back and forth .R. and D. and P. who sits next to them giggle loudly when the Whippets walk between their chairs without falling. Sometimes they catch their tails or legs and the Whippets just lick their faces , but mostly they like to hold their leashes and eventually when they jump off the chairs they hold on to the leashes.
 

 

 

A. is an Autistic woman who loves our animals. Even on her desk there is a glued photo of Apollo sitting next to her lap. She loves holding him and I gently help her caress him. Then she can't wait for me to place at least 2 rabbits next to her and smiles heartily.Apollo is so sweet and gentle - he doesnt bark and sits next to A. like melted butter. A. enjoys every minute , utters a few happy sounds and laughs heartily.
 
 

 

G. loves all our Whippets and she knows their names: Ktana, Angelina and Apollo. But especially G adores Apollo and holds him tight next to her. She calls  his name. He sits on her lap and she proudly shows it to everyone.Then she asks Angelina to come and join her as well. She is truly happy with patting and being with Whippets.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 

B doesnt like to sit with people but the minute I arrive she asks to hold all three Whippets and pat their heads.
 
 

 
 
 
 

K. loves to have one rabbit and one Whippet next to her. She doesnt communicate verbally but pets the Whippet gently.
 
 

 

It is a great enjoyment for us to know that our animals are a fountain of love to the disabled people and the sweet gentle Whippets help physically , psychologically and mentally to alleviate their loneliness and give them lots of happiness .
 
 

We are looking forward to continue working with our lovely whippets  

and bring happines to people