Your chance to enjoy creature comforts for free thanks to a Wakefield animal therapy firm

Established last year by husband-and-wife duo, Robert, and Rebecca Haigh, Horbury-based Wildling Adventures provides children with the opportunity to play with fluffy animals, such as guinea pigs, rabbits, and chicks, as well as some more exotic animals, such as tarantulas, tortoises, and millipedes.

Robert, a former emergency medical technician for the Ambulance Service, and Rebecca, who has recently graduated with a degree in child psychology, offer sessions to schools and private parties, as well as NHS-funded therapy sessions to people with extra needs and people living with dementia.

The sessions provide comfort as well as providing an animal-human bond, which can provide calmness, improve mood, social interactions, and increase general well being.

Other benefits include improving both gross and fine motor skills, developing social and behavioural skills, and even helping with confidence and speech.

The couple will be giving one lucky family the opportunity to have a session with their animals free of charge in their own home.

And the child can choose from having a party with the ‘fluffy’ animals or the ‘bugs’.

Rebecca said: “Animal therapy is so beneficial to adults and children. It helps reduce anxiety and stress levels, and improves communication. We work a lot with SEND children, it is a new thing but is so beneficial.

"We want to give not just SEND children or people with dementia, but families with children who don’t get these opportunities.”

Robert added: “A lot of children do not get to have experiences with some of the animals we have, so going into schools and care homes is a really rewarding thing to do.

"The idea behind giving a free session away is to give something back to a family in need, especially during the cost of living crisis.”

The couple is also set to hold a free event for the community in Horbury in a few months time.

To nominate a child for the visit, vist Wildling Adventure’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083134189639.