BARRINGTON, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) --Hear from a canine. Help from a horse. Even positivity from a pig. All Made in Chicago.
Jodie Diegel is Founder and President of SOUL Harbour Ranch Animal Therapy in Barrington.
"Our mission is to enrich lives through the sharing of unconditional love of our specially trained therapy animals," she said.
"Animal therapy is a combination of everything that is me. "I love animals and I love making people happy."
She began doing that in 2010, taking her dog to Northwest Community Hospital for animal assisted therapy. Also a horse owner, Diegel expanded her range by offering miniature horse therapy.
"It started with three, but that's when the growth really took off."
They now welcome visitors for on-site therapy, but also hit the road with their trained dogs, horses, piglets and other assisting animals.
"We're able to provide visits to hospitals, nursing homes, the VA, schools, libraries," Diegel said. "They really just share their unconditional love and that's the true healing that therapy animals are able to do to people."
Diegel said studies have shown the benefits animals can have on humans, and that after a pandemic full of isolation, those benefits are even more powerful.
"We are all volunteers. We are solely donation- based. We are always looking for people that believe in our mission and are able to help us pay it forward."
More information can be found online at soulharbourranch.org.
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