Animal Assisted Therapy With Bloke, the New Miniature Cow

“I grew up on a ranch, so I’ve worked with animals since I was very young. That was really where it started. I didn’t realize it was work experience, I just liked being with animals. And now I manage the farm at Dahlia’s Hope.

We’re all excited about the new miniature Jersey cow, Bloke. Some of the survivors aren’t ready to interact with a full-sized horse, so Bloke is a better fit. He’s funny; he’s an attention diva and just wants to be near you all the time. He acts like a puppy. When I’m with Bloke, he just wants to love on me and lean on me or rub against me the entire time I'm with him–which is cute, but he's also 300 pounds.

I love that our animals all have different personalities. One of our horses, who is named Star, is a rescue herself. She’s still a little skittish and, understandably, doesn’t trust people yet. Our survivors will be able to connect with her, they’ll relate to her. But then we’ve got Bloke who has never been abused a day in his life. He's always been a princess and just wants to cuddle. All of our horses are completely safe, but not all survivors feel safe to go in with the horses when I'm not there. Bloke is there to go in and love on and he'll love on them back.

I have a very fulfilling job, especially when I get to be there for an animal-assisted therapy session and I get to see somebody make that first connection or work through something. There's something about an animal, they're all so good at unconditional love. They don't judge you, they let you be whoever you need to be, and they'll still like you. They'll still be your friend the next day and the day after. And there's something very powerful in that.”

Wylder Smith

Pleasant Grove, UT