Pets & Animals by Greg Stolz
Premium Content Guinea pigs, chickens, horses and even llamas are being used to help treat mental illness as part of a booming trend in animal-assisted therapy. A conference showcasing how animals are being used to treat an array of human physical and mental conditions and disabilities, from post-traumatic stress to autism, kicks off on the Gold Coast on Monday. The virtual conference is part of national Animals Helping Humans Month and has been organised by Coast-based charity Animal Therapies Ltd, headed by Wendy Coombe. Ms Coombe, a former corporate high-flyer who started the organisation in 2018 after suffering a breakdown, said research showed that animals could provide humans with significant therapeutic benefits, and not just as pets.