The National Center for Mental Health and Palliative Care in Mexico City, is the only public hospital in Mexico using animals to treat mental illnesses
Nine-year-old Alessia Ramos has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
Image: Claudio Cruz / AFP
Nine-year-old Alessia Ramos gently pets a hamster at a Mexican hospital where animals ranging from Australian parakeets to a Siberian Husky are being used to provide mental health therapy.
"It helps me to relieve my anxiety, to control my emotions, to relax and be more focused," said Ramos, who has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
Eight dogs are also among the furry therapists at the National Center for Mental Health and Palliative Care in Mexico City.
Harley, a five-year-old Pug, lost his eye in an accident but made a quick recovery, said doctor Lucia Ledesma, head of mental health services at the Institute for Social Security and Services for State Workers, the agency of which the hospital is a part.
"We follow that example of resilience in the face of adversity. He's a dog that does everything, without impediments," she said.