In 2020, when the world was immersed in the pandemic vortex, Verónica Pillón had an idea: to create a space in Lanzarote where animal and social welfare would intertwine. A place of tranquility at a time when it was most missed. And so Lanzanimal arose, a multidisciplinary organization and a pioneer in implementing animal therapies on the island.
Pillón, who is now the founder and president, dedicates herself, along with her partner Valentina Constantino and several volunteers, "to rescuing animals, then rehabilitating and training them until they are fit to interact with people and perform therapeutic procedures."
Although this form of treatment is not very common in Spain, it has numerous benefits: "It helps to reduce depression, increases self-esteem and contributes to our users feeling an important part of society, thanks to contact with nature and the enjoyment of the species we have," details the president.
A new chapter for children with disorders...
Lanzanimal is a project open to all types of people. The initiative, in addition to the therapeutic part, also has an educational area "dedicated to schools, families or groups of diverse ages" and a dog shelter.
"For a large part of my life I have been related to dogs and I wanted to continue doing so. The farm has a small area, which also allows us to have some self-financing," says Pillón.
Within the therapeutic part, the team currently works with children with pathologies such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum (ASD) or Asperger's, as well as young people at risk of social exclusion or with school problems.
To carry out each treatment, first of all "we contact the child's occupational therapist in question, since our activities are always in collaboration with traditional therapy," explains Pillón. "And from there," she continues, "each case is different."
Taking as a model a patient diagnosed with ADHD, the president indicates that they emphasize several factors: autonomy, self-control and self-esteem.
"We know that young people with ADHD find it difficult to execute tasks, so the first thing we do is set short and medium difficulty objectives to work on their autonomy." In addition to this, "sometimes this group can be somewhat violent, so we try to get them to self-regulate through direct contact with the animals, which helps them to be aware that they must be treated delicately," illustrates the professional.
"And finally, as in the rest of the groups, in the case of ADHD we highly value self-esteem: we help them feel capable and important, since the ultimate goal of Lanzanimal is to improve people's quality of life."
... and for mistreated animals
The donkeys Lucy, Clemente, Benji and Silvestre; the sheep María, Stella, Fer and Rosalía; the pair of ducks Emma and Aarón and the rooster Hilario; the pig Carmelo or the dog Mandy make up, among others, the animal team of the organization.
90% of them have been rescued or seized for living in poor conditions or being abandoned: "The donkeys arrived here after we found out that they were mistreated in private homes and the sheep were found wandering alone through Arrecife."
The rest of the members they work with have been transferred by farmers who, due to age or the current price increase, "cannot offer them the care they deserve," says Pillon.
The happiness of others, the best payment
Since March 2021 -since although it was founded in 2020, the health emergency prevented it from developing normally- Lanzanimal has managed to make a place for itself among the people of Lanzarote.
"In this time we have managed to get many people interested: we receive many visits from individuals and we have managed to get young people and adults to reconnect with the natural environment, leaving technology aside even for a short period of time," explains the head of the organization.
However, the most satisfying thing, in her opinion, has been seeing the happiness on the faces of animals and children: "We have saved the lives of many species. And we have also returned the desire to live to many children who do not have an easy existence. Seeing how they manage to relax and open up to the animals, how they smile or even laugh... It is the most rewarding thing there is."
Looking to the future, the professional advances that, from next month, they will begin to collaborate with the Red Cross for the implementation of activities with elderly people, "who also need to remember that they do not have to feel alone."
In this same line, in the long term they plan to start with horticultural therapies and bring new groups to the initiative.
And it is that, although Pillón recognizes that this is a very sacrificial job, without schedules or festivities, both she and the team she leads are sure that they want to continue with this project, because the pride in "contributing to an animal that has had a bad time managing to overcome and be able to help a person who has been in the same situation, is not comparable with anything", she concludes.
