Stitch the skunk brings joy at children's hospice

You may have heard of a therapy cat or therapy dog, but have you heard of a therapy skunk?

Dale Preece-Kelly, from Kidderminster, runs Critterish Allsorts, offering animal therapy to places like hospices, prisons, and care homes, where he hopes to "unleash the healing power of animals".

He has about 70 animals that help provide this therapy, one of whom is Stitch, an 11-month-old striped skunk.

Stitch has become a popular visitor at Zoe's Place Baby Hospice in Coventry, where Mr Preece-Kelly has offered his animal therapy for free for over a decade.

He said the children benefitted from meeting animals like Rico the milk snake, Hercules the bearded dragon, Wubble the frog, Oreo the "skinny pig" - a hairless guinea pig - and Ekko the dog.

Mr Preece-Kelly had previously worked factory jobs and as a chauffeur.

"I've always loved animals, I've had them since I was 10... I always had pets and it kind of just blossomed," the 57-year-old said.

"I've got around 70 animals at home, and after being rescued, they help to rescue others."

Mr Preece-Kelly said the animals often calmed children down, with the larger snakes acting "like a weighted blanket".

"I can come in and everyone's screaming, I can leave when everyone's sleeping, which is a lovely way to work," he said.

The therapy can also help children with specific skills, according to Mr Preece-Kelly. He said stroking or holding animals could help with mobility.

Tammy Neale, from Nuneaton, has worked at Zoe's Place as a children's nurse for two years.

She said: "It's absolutely amazing. It helps a lot with anxiety and stress, but it also just helps them relax so if they are in pain or if they've got any dystonic episodes going on, sometimes it just helps them unwind a little bit.

"So the smiles and the happy faces that you get when Dale comes in with the animals is absolutely amazing, it's always a fun day to work."

Lauren and Ashley's two-year-old daughter Frankie has myotonic dystrophy - a genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness and wasting.

The family, from Rugby, have been coming to Zoe's Place for about a year, visiting approximately four times a month, some of which are overnight stays.

"She loves the animal therapy, she gets excited when she comes here and sees the animals," Lauren said. "She's a lot braver than I am."

Frankie requires 24-hour care and the family have assisted living, with her father looking after her full-time.

Her parents say the services at Zoe's Place mean they have been able to have "a little bit of a break", while also helping Frankie's social skills.

"I can't thank them enough for what they do for us a family and what they do for Frankie," Lauren said.

"Honestly I come here and I don't have any concerns about her and they're so good with her. It's just amazing, it's really helped us out a lot."

Zoe's Place is a hospice for babies and young children with complex medical needs, offering both respite and palliative care.

"Without it, these parents wouldn't get rest," Ms Neale said.

"They live a 24-hour daily routine of making sure their medical needs are met - that's a big ask for parents.

"So to be able to say here's 24 hours, go and have a meal on your own without having to worry about medication and suction machines, that has such a big impact on their lives."

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