Greece's only miniature therapy horses bring joy to many, but the charity is struggling

FILE - Stable worker Ali Hussein from Pakistan, 34, holds Calypso, a miniature horse used for therapy programs, during a visit at an elderly care home in Athens, Nov. 22, 2024. FILE - Elli Salma, a resident of an elderly care home, looks up as Ivi, a miniature horse used for therapy programs, visits her room, in Athens, Greece, on Nov. 22, 2024.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, a smile spreads across the little girl's face. Blinking behind her glasses, she inches her wheelchair forward and gently reaches out to stroke the tiny gray horse.