awesome

For many years now, “animal therapists” have been supporting EVIM Youth Services in its work. These include our three female llamas—Mojita, Penny, and Candy—as well as cats, dogs, rabbits, chickens, goats, and even a beehive.

The animals hold a very special place in the children’s hearts. The children often place more trust in them than in the adults who have let them down so many times in their lives. They open up to the animals and tell them everything.

Animals Help Children and Teens

Animals have no prejudices and accept every child just as they are: their past, appearance, or background don’t matter. For stigmatized and disadvantaged children, this is usually a new and positive experience. 

They come to us with severe learning difficulties, serious developmental disorders, or mental health issues. Often, learning, playing, and growing up alongside their peers is very difficult for them. Through their interactions with the animals, remarkable improvements quickly become apparent. 


Children and teenagers tell animals everything—what’s currently troubling them, as well as things they’ve never told anyone before. Secrets, traumatic experiences, hopes, and dreams. Animals listen; they don’t interrupt, laugh, contradict, judge, or tell anyone else—nothing has to be embarrassing. 

You can cuddle with animals, snuggle up to them, and feel their warm fur. No one takes advantage of that, and no one misinterprets it! Plus, you can have a blast playing with them, no matter how old you are or how “cool” you usually have to act.

Animals react authentically, clearly, and immediately to how children treat them: if they feel mistreated, they either run away, spit, kick, or growl. The children and young people who live with us are often unsure how to assess their own behavior because they have not received clear reactions from adults. When interacting with animals, they learn that they must respect the personality and individuality of each animal when approaching it. 

In interacting with the animals, the children and young people experience that they are needed and that they are capable of doing something. The animals must be cared for and fed, the stables must be cleaned, they must be taken for walks or exercised, and care must be taken to ensure that they do not run away. This strengthens their often barely existent self-esteem and makes them proud.

Your donation makes a difference!

The entire project is funded primarily through donations. Every cent helps!

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