Animals are amazing creatures and I've been fascinated with them since I was very young. I've been blessed to have had the opportunity to be the Zoomobile Coordinator at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans for the past three and a half years. While there, I have found what I've known to be true since I was little, animals have an incredible power to help heal.
The Zoomobile is an outreach program from the Audubon Zoo. As the coordinator, I brought animals from the zoo to schools, hospitals, nursing homes and libraries (to name a few places) all over southeastern Louisiana. The program is run through the education department of the zoo but, I witnessed that beyond educating people we were able to really make an impact on people's lives.
There have been countless times that I was told things like "that was the first time we've seen that person smile", "willingly touch something", "talk". I visited a school for children with special needs and the next year that I went the kids were telling me what I brought last year. The teachers informed me that the kids had been talking about it all year.
Currently I'm in LSU-New Orleans' Doctorate of Physical Therapy program. My goal is to graduate and become an Animal Assisted Physical Therapist. I want to use what I learned working at the Audubon Zoo and integrate animals into my practice so that people will regain their health in a fun, fast way.
I welcome you to join me on my journey as I explore the healing power of animals.
I am so proud of you!
ReplyDeleteHeck yeah!!! Definitely keep the blog going :) Doing a job you love and that really helps out is an amazing thing; always glad to hear more about it
ReplyDeleteThanks! I appreciate your enthusiasm. I hope my other posts are as well received, but if not, tell me what you like better about this one and I'll try to make sure I'm staying true to what I said I would be doing.
ReplyDeleteSo proud of you, Sarah! For future posts I'd like to know what animals you'd like to work with and why!
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