Saving animals, healing people

Harmony Hooves, Healing Hearts
Selfless. Rescuer. Rehabilitator

Jodie Alderton has saved countless animals while bringing comfort to people since founding Harmony Hooves, Healing Hearts.

Jodie rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes animals in need, including horses, dogs, cats, goats, chickens and ducks. She also keeps some animals to train for the therapy program she runs at her small farm.

The animals do a great job supporting young people with anxiety, self-esteem and social issues and they bring comfort and joy to elderly people, psychiatric patients, and people with a disability.

The benefits of animal therapy include calmness, reduced loneliness and lower blood pressure.

It can also assist with pain control and reduce suffering for patients in palliative care.

Over 120 people with a disability attend weekly sessions at the farm. Jodie, her chicks, ducklings and goat kids also visit a local psychiatric hospital twice a week and bring joy to the residents of more than 30 aged care facilities.

In addition, Jodie offers volunteer training to at-risk school students, giving them a sense of purpose and belonging.

She feels humbled to be nominated as a Westfield Local Hero. “I want everyone to feel joy and love from animals; they are so healing for people,” Jodie says.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. Harmony Hooves, Healing Hearts, will use its funds to build an undercover area so horse therapy can continue during wet weather.

For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here