Community home helps underprivileged children recover through animal therapy
Community home helps underprivileged children recover through animal therapy
2025-12-02
A children’s home in Taitung’s Beinan Township houses more than 50 underprivileged children, many of whom have suffered abuse. To help them recover from trauma and bring joy into their lives, the home arranges animal therapy sessions to help them relearn to love and trust by interacting with pets.
Children play happily with dogs in a grassy field, enjoying brushing, petting, and running around with them. Even something as simple as this brings joy to their faces.
A dog trainer plays a game with the kids, rewarding them if they guess a dog’s age correctly. This children’s home in Taitung’s Beinan Township houses more than 50 underprivileged children, many of whom have suffered abuse. To bring joy back into their lives, the home organizes animal therapy sessions for them.
Lin You-yu
Dog trainer
Interacting with dogs helps relieve the children’s stress. When you touch something furry, your brain releases dopamine. I’m a dog trainer, so I teach the kids how to control the dogs, and they’re eager to learn.
In addition to dogs, the home also raises chickens, ducks and geese, helping children learn responsibility by caring for animals. The director of the home also respects the children’s Indigenous backgrounds, encouraging them to learn their native languages and cultures, taking them hiking and teaching them to sing and play drums.
Lu Li-han
Home director
We think that interacting with pets opens another level within the children’s hearts. We also have our own band and hold events with drums, singing, and dancing, because 80% of our children have Indigenous backgrounds, and we want them to grow in a way that best suits each of them.
Caregivers here are not just teachers, but also act as guardians. They provide a safe space and loving family for these children, helping to rebuild their courage and trust one step at a time.
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#Taitung #animaltherapy #children #childrenshome #underpriviledged #abuse #dogs #dogtherapy #indigenous #pets #love
台東卑南鄉兒童之家"寵物治療課" 讓孩童在互動中舒緩情緒
2025-12-02
台東卑南鄉一間兒童之家，收容超過50名弱勢及受虐兒童，為了撫平孩子們的心靈創傷，院方特別安排寵物治療課程，透過與動物的互動，重新學會信任與愛。
廣闊的草皮上，孩子們不但和狗狗一起比賽跑步，還幫牠們梳毛、按摩，臉上充滿快樂。
訓練師和孩子們玩著互動猜謎遊戲，現場氣氛熱鬧。這裡是台東卑南鄉一處民間照護機構，收容了50多位弱勢和受虐兒童，院方為了讓孩童舒緩情緒，特別安排寵物治療課程。
[[訓犬師 林宥褕]]
“小朋友跟狗互動，他比較容易紓壓，人有一種那種摸到毛茸茸的感覺，就會有腦內多巴胺的分泌。我本身也是訓練師，教小朋友怎麼控制這些狗，他們也想學”
園區裡除了寵物狗，還有雞、鴨、鵝等動物，讓孩子學習責任與愛護生命。院長也特別重視孩子們的原住民族文化背景，不僅鼓勵學族語、認識族群文化，也會帶孩子登山、打鼓、唱歌，發揮天賦。
[[兒童之家院長 呂立漢]]
“寵物互動方面，我們覺得起碼激發他心裡面，心靈世界另一個層面，像我們也有我們自己也有Band，我們也有活動，打鼓、唱歌、舞蹈全部都有，因為我們的孩子80%都是原住民的背景，我們覺得說盡量適性去發展。
照顧者不只是老師，也代替家長的角色，用生活填補孩子缺失的親情，也用愛與陪伴，幫他們一點一滴重建勇氣與信任。
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