NEUILLY-SUR-MARNE — Ville-Evrard psychiatric hospital in Neuilly-sur-Marne, France, operates a unique animal therapy unit featuring donkeys and other animals as part of publicly funded mental health treatment. The program was launched in 2016 and gained official status as a health care unit in 2022, allowing it to employ three full-time nurses and offer sessions at no cost to patients through France’s public health system.

The therapy unit is housed in 19th-century farm buildings surrounded by woods within the hospital complex. Five donkeys—named Nono, Pitou, Oscar, Manolo, and Malraux—are central to the program, which has expanded to include guinea pigs, chickens, doves, goats, turtles, and rabbits. Patients care for the animals, take them for walks, and engage in tailored activities based on individual needs; smaller animals can even be brought to hospital rooms.

“When you take medication that helps you relax, it’s exactly the same,” said Nathalie, a 60-year-old patient. “I’d call it animal medicine. It brings relief. You stop thinking about everything else.” Patients are identified only by first names to protect their privacy.

“At first, she wouldn’t get out of the cart (provided for people with physical difficulties). But little by little, with encouragement, she did,” said Audrey Seffar, a nurse at the animal therapy unit. “The animal serves as a mediator. It’s such an extraordinary one that today she was able to leave the cart and stand beside her donkey.”

Ermelinda Hadey, a nurse specializing in psychiatry, co-founded the program with her husband François Hadey in 2016. “Everything we do with the animals allows us to work with the patient,” she said. “We work on feeding the animal, which helps us address the patient’s own eating habits. We work on the animal’s hygiene, and by mirror effect, we work on the patient’s hygiene as well.” She added that the therapy “does not replace a doctor or a medical prescription, but it can help patients regain confidence and a sense of self-worth.”

Staff say the sessions support people living with anxiety, depression, autism, schizophrenia, or other conditions, aiming to improve emotional regulation, communication, social interaction, and self-esteem. Some therapy donkeys were adopted from shelters after experiencing neglect. Volunteers from a nonprofit group assist with animal care.