Wendy Coombe is the founder of the Australian Peak Body and charitable organisation, Animal Therapies Ltd with the goal to advance the understanding, acceptance and accessibility of animal-assisted services for those suffering trauma, disability and adversity. In our conversation Wendy explores how animals from lamas to lizards and miniature ponies on airplanes can help people cope with different challenges. We discuss how we can now use dogs to detect seizures up to 45 mins before the event, help regulate insulin in patients suffering from diabetes (they can smell insulin levels in your blood) and detect ingredients in food that some may be dangerously allergic to.

Wendy shares her story of her own mental breakdown from a long career in senior management after which she turned to her faithful dog, Jack, for support. This started her on the journey of establishing Animal Therapies Limited as a charity to help connect people interested in using and receiving animal assisted services. It’s an ancient partnership, modernized into today’s sophisticated world.

Find Wendy at:

https://animaltherapies.org.au/

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