Rape and Therapy Animals

 50. RAPE AND THERAPY ANIMALS 

Hello and welcome back to Raped 25 Years. At this time I invite you to join me for a walk through my journey of healing from sexual violence. Don’t forget to stay to the end in order to enjoy my gem of positivity.

Therapy animals can really help in the recovery process after sexual abuse and sexual assault. They provide a safe space for relearning how to love and trust again. They can also help you relearn that the world can be a safe place too

This time I thought I would talk about my choice in therapy animals. This topic should be fairly easy and straightforward. However if you’re aware of my love for animals, you’ll appreciate just how hard it is. So I’m going to approach this in my own ever unique way. You might think the animal to be a dog or a cat, however I see that as being too narrow a field.

In an ideal world, my choice of animal would be a cow. In particular, a Guernsey (dairy breed). They have such lovely affectionate personalities, and the gold-and-white patterning is a lovely change from the normal black-and-white Friesian, although if I couldn’t get a Guernsey, the Friesian would be a very close runner-up. The cow is my favourite animal. 

I know cats are popular but I’m allergic to them. I like Manchester Terrier dogs. They’re a smooth-coated, black-and-tan breed. I also am used to terriers, although I also love  German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and working Border Collies. I’ve really only had terriers, so I’m used to the little quirks of nature that come with that general dog type.

Next, I’ll deal with the birds. If I were to have just one, it would be an Australorp bantam rooster. I would keep him as an indoor pet, so the crowing shouldn’t bother anyone He wouldn’t be heavier than 1.5 kilos. The other bantam breed I would consider are the Japanese Bantam.

The other pet I’d like is a lovely fox. They’re actually quite cute and very affectionate when kept as pets. In the UK, Canada, and America, it is actually legal to have foxes as pets, whereas in Australia they are a pest.

And what about you? Do you have a therapy animal currently? Maybe you may not be able to keep a therapy animal in your circumstances. You can still enjoy writing out what your therapy animal (or animals) might be. Even just thinking about your choice of therapy animal can help. Why not give it a go?

This time the gem of positivity is a quote attributed to Dr Anthony Calabro:

“They ask for attention, and when someone responds, they give love and security and warmth in return, no strings attached”.

And that is just what I, and you, need after the trauma of sexual violation. We need to learn that it is safe to love, and it will not lead to further sexual trauma. That is what healing is all about.

Thank you for joining me on this short walk through my journey of healing. Don’t forget to leave a comment on what your ideal therapy animal is. And until next time, just breathe and believe.

With love and care, Ruby.