'It takes your pain right away:' Therapy farm animals visit Beamsville retirement home

Beverly Williams had an unlikely way of getting rid of the pain from her arthritis this week.

It wasn't a pill or an ointment — the answer to her aches was a little bunny named Crystal.

"It takes every ache and pain away. I walked out of that room after holding the rabbit and I felt so much better," said Williams, who lives at The Jacob Senior Living, a retirement home in Beamsville, Ont.

Triple C Farm in Ancaster, a livestock sanctuary and farm animal petting zoo, has been bringing the furry friends to The Jacob over the last three days to raise seniors's spirits and provide a form of pet therapy.

"We try to do more events like this sort of thing because nowadays you really need a break from the world and all the political stress that's out there," said Tricia Simons, owner of Triple C Farm.

"This is just a time to be with the animals and think about nothing else other than how happy you are in that moment."

Simons said she opened the farm in 2015 and started by offering goat yoga sessions and walking tours with alpacas, among other programs.

She said she got the idea to bring farm animals to retirement centres after hearing positive feedback from a senior man and his caretaker who visited her farm to see the horses.

Christina Vukovic, a lifestyle manager at The Jacob, said many seniors at the centre have never held a farm animal before and often get excited for each petting session.

"The therapy is definitely something that people look forward to," she said. "You get that pet therapy benefit and then you also get that reminiscence which is also really lovely."

Williams said it's a "wonderful thing."

"I understand why they have animals — the dogs especially — go to see sick kids to help the little kids with cancer. It takes your pain right away, it's unbelievable how healing they are," she said.