Colin’s Wallow

In the beginning!

Colin joined our family when he was a 12 week old piglet, to be part of our Animal Assisted Therapy team. He spent the first 6 months living in our house, where he became best friends with our 3 year old dog Beau. 

By 6 months old Colin was clearly no longer a 'micro' pig and needed to move into his own accommodation, outside with the other animals. As a very confident young pig Colin quickly made friends and was soon in charge of the whole team!

Young love

Colin began spending more and more time with Delores, a sassy Toulouse goose. They would sit for hours in the paddling pool where she would groom him, sometime too vigorously! (See video HERE) It wasn't long before she had become his 'goose friend' and they had moved into his sty together.

School

Colin spent the summer at school, he loved to learn and quickly became the teachers pet. (See video HERE of Colin at school).

Early fame

All too soon, the hazy days of summer and schooling were over and Colin began his career as a therapy pig.  His success soon started to draw the attention of others and he was featured in a number of magazines including Yours Magazine, Best Magazine and Woman and Home. He will also be in the October 2022 edition of Yours Magazine.

Colin began attracting followers on his Instagram page @colinthepig. In 2019 he released a calendar featuring positive mental mental health messages. With the #bemorecolin

What is Animal Assisted Therapy?

Animal Assisted Therapy is a growing and exciting new field based on the therapeutic value of interacting with animals. For many people, talking through feelings and experiences with a therapist can be helpful and healing, for others, especially children, exploring such big feelings can not easily be done with just words.

Involving animals in the therapeutic process can provide unique opportunities to explore and understand feelings and behaviours. Through connecting and building relationships with animals, we can learn about what we and others need to feel happy, safe and valued. These skills can then be transferred to other important relationships such as, family and friends.  

You can read an article by Hannah about Animal Assisted Therapy HERE and listen to a podcast about the same topic HERE. 

Why support us

Unfortunately and unexpectedly we are unable to remain on the land we have rented for the last 6.5 years. This has caused much heartache and worry about what will happen to the animals as we haven't been able to find another place to rent that will accept them. 

Never wanting to be in this position again, we have decided to crowd fund to buy land that will become Colin's Wallow, a Therapeutic Animal Sanctuary and Education Center and forever home where Colin and his friends can continue to live, work and stay together. Fortunately we have found a suitable piece of land which we are currently negotiating to buy. We are able to use our savings to part fund this but still need your help to raise a further £80,000 to make it a reality.

What a difference a pig makes!

For children who have experienced trauma, being outside with animals can be very healing. Having the opportunity to develop relationships with Colin and his friends and work through their challenges in a spacious, natural setting can be truly life changing. Read comments from the mother of a child who spent time with Colin about the difference it made below.

'Life changing'

'We had recently moved location, home and school, our eldest daughter didn’t adjust as everyone said she would.  We were in a dark and desperate place. She was 10 years old and so anxious that she felt sick all the time and said that it would be easier if she died.  

We finally met Hannah, along with the animals and after trying out three other therapists, all in their white, clinical, cold rooms, Hannah’s approach was a refreshing and welcome change. 

Surrounded by nature and animals, from Colin the pig to Delores the goose, our daughter felt safe and looked forward to her sessions, not seeing it as therapy at all.  She began to talk as she played and tended to the animals, slowly but surely the world opened up to her once again. As she gained confidence through spending time with Hannah and interacting with the animals, she became happier and was gradually able to begin trusting herself and others more.

I can honestly say that animal therapy was the turning point for us, and Hannah is the animal and child whisperer we thought only existed in books.'

Find out more about Hannah and Tony

Hannah and Tony are both mental health professionals who have been working with children, young people and vulnerable adults for all of their working careers. They are directors of Headsight Services Ltd and The Trauma Action Group. Hannah also teaches on the Animal Assisted Services training programme for Roots Institute in America. 

Thank you

Your support means the world to us, thank you so much.