HOUSTON – A program in Harris County is working to heal the emotional wounds of children and teens in their care.
Their juvenile probation department’s campus in Seabrook has partnered with the Houston Humane Society, pairing animals in need, with young people also yearning for acceptance, connection, and healing from past traumas.
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It’s a program that’s uniting two groups, who’ve been through a lot: girls and boys living at Harris County Youth Village in Seabrook as well as abused, neglected companion animals who need a second chance.
Young people, ages 11-17, call this campus home temporarily after committing criminal offenses. And as part of their therapy (if they so choose and if their behavior is good) they help rehabilitate animals who’ve been through awful circumstances.
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Licensed psychologist, Dr. Beverly Walsh, is a consultant for the program, which brings in rescued animals from the Houston Humane Society to be fostered on campus while they recover. This includes horses, as Cesar Alvarez with Harris County Youth Village said while standing next to a horse named Bernie. He tells me Bernie’s back was burned as he escaped a barn fire.
“Most of the kids who come back here assist me in taking care of him,” Alvarez said. “At the same time, we try to relate the trauma they’ve had in the past and the trauma the horse received.”
Clinical Director, Dr. Danielle Madera, says the program, now starting its second year, shows promise.
“We have children who’ve been abused. Severely abused at times and that breaks trust in other human beings,” Dr. Madera said. “So to be able to start with an animal where you can feel safer and build those secure attachments and then hopefully mirror that with staff and with their family.”
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Therapy for these residents doesn’t just end with horses. The Houston Humane Society also provides dogs that need a second chance.
“These are dogs that are coming from many different situations,” Macey Stays with the Humane Society said. “And for them to be able to connect with these humans, with people who may be going through a struggle and just need that second chance! These dogs need that second chance, too.”
For the kids and teens who take part in the day-to-day care and bonding, it can be life-changing. For this reason, Dr. Madera hopes to see this opportunity expand to more juvenile campuses across Harris County.
“I want people to know that we’re rehabilitating kids here that we’re bringing safety back to their lives and rebuilding their family structure and giving them the tools so when they leave here they can have a productive future and be on a different track than they were before.”