In the journey to mend a troubled heart, Sophie Rainer has brought a form of equine therapy from France, to Arizona.
Rainer was recently caught off guard when she went out to her yard to discover some of her donkeys were missing.
Her only female donkey, whom she says is the alpha of the drove, persisted through a barbwire fence. Several donkeys were spotted by drivers in Cave Creek where they snapped photos and posted them on social media.
Neighbors were able to corral the donkeys, Felix, Violet, and Albert to get them back home and roll them in the dirt.
“I don’t know how many times of the day they are rolling but it is huge,” she said laughing watching a pair of her donkeys roll around.
As cute as they are, Sophie’s donkeys have been an important part of recovery for several dozen people in Arizona dealing with trauma or mental health challenges.
“I always call them the philosopher of the equine gender,” she said.
In France, Sophie learned donkeys are the top choice for animal-based therapy, even over horses. That’s because she says they don’t like to be alone.
“They are there for quite like humans, showing a great differentiated attachment to their congeners and to the human people they associate with,” she wrote on why she chose the animal over others.
Donkeys also have a strong memory and know “what relationship you have with them.” And they have the ability to detect emotions.
“A donkey knows if you are pretending to be someone else, they will just go away calmly. But if you are yourself, no matter if you are sad, they stay close to you,” she said.
Over a year ago, Sophie founded The Donkeys of the Heart, a non-profit.
Those dealing with mental health challenges can find peace through groom, walking in nature or just caring for someone who loves you back, no matter what you’re going through.
“Most people when they have mental health issues, it’s because they don’t have self-esteem, and life has been hard for them, donkeys are extremely good for that,” said Sophie.