.svg){kind=logo}
 (3).jpg)
Transcript: Aya and the Farm Animals / Reese and the Goats
Collar of Duty Kids
Descriptive Transcript
[Upbeat music plays, goats bleat, meow]
DESCRIPTION: In an outdoor pen, two brown goats and a white goat stand on the grass. A horse grazes in a paddock, a pig lies in a barn stall with hay on their snout, and a person holds a white rabbit as another person pets it. A teenage girl with long, curly brown hair hugs a grey and white cat. She wears a black sweater.
NARRATOR: A blended family made up of farm animals helps 16-year-old Aya find confidence and belonging.
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, the curly-haired girl, Aya, pets a white goat.
AYA: This place is my happy place.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: In a fenced yard, a puppy wearing a blue collar slides down a toddler slide. The puppy plays with another puppy wearing a black collar.
NARRATOR: It's cuteness overload at a playground for future dog guide puppies.
[Whoosh, goats bleat, horses neigh]
DESCRIPTION: At a farm, a teenager with their blond hair in a ponytail carries a shovel full of hay. They wear a grey-blue t-shirt and green-grey pants. They sit cross-legged on the ground, petting a goat. In a paddock, horses swish their tails and nibble on bales of hay.
NARRATOR: A teen finds purpose with goats at a farm that supports mental health.
DESCRIPTION: In front of a barn, the blond-haired teenager sits on a rock, holding a small white goat kid with a line of brown fur over their eye.
BLOND-HAIRED TEENAGER: This place is a comfort space.
[Bright music plays, dog barks]
DESCRIPTION: In an animation, a dog runs with a ball in their mouth. A red vest appears on the dog, and the dog sits and watches a squirrel run past. The vest has a Collar of Duty badge on the front.
NARRATOR: When my vest is on duty calls. When kids and animals team up, the paws-abilities are endless. Collar of Duty Kids.
[Title] Collar of Duty Kids.
[Logo] Collar of Duty.
[Upbeat music plays, cat meows]
DESCRIPTION: In a room, Aya pets the grey-and-white cat, then picks them up.
AYA: Hey girl, you wanna say hi to the camera?
DESCRIPTION: In a goat pen, Aya makes two peace signs as she stands with two white goats. In a backyard, Aya holds a stick and a large black dog tugs on it.
NARRATOR: Meet Aya, a witty teen who loves playing fetch with their family dog, Aries.
DESCRIPTION: In a barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: I'm Aya, and I'm 16.
NARRATOR: And gaming with her sister Maya.
DESCRIPTION: In a living room, Aya and Maya sit on the floor, each holding a console controller. Maya has long brown hair and wears a lilac hooded sweater.
AYA: You underestimate my abilities.
MAYA: You are so talented.
AYA: One of us has to be.
[Both laugh, whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: Photographs on a mantel show a small grey-and-white dog and younger Aya hugging it. A dog tag for “Havok” is embedded in a stone with text that reads, “In memory of a faithful friend and …” A white dog figurine blocks the bottom of the stone. Another photo shows Maya hugging the grey-and-white dog.
AYA: This is the dog wall. This is Farley, absolute sweetheart. Puppy heaven looks adorable. I love them. This is commonly been referred to as my den. Everyone tends to joke that I'm a vampire because I don't leave the house often.
[She chuckles, eerie music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a dark room, Aya lies on her bed.
AYA: And I prefer the darkness over the light. My bedroom has only one window that I can barely see out of. So, vampire? Possibly. Confirmed? No.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Photographs show Aya as a young child hugging a stuffed lamb toy and sitting beneath a tree, wearing sunglasses.
NARRATOR: Aya has also been through a lot. She has autism, which causes hypersensitivity and can make her social situations challenging.
DESCRIPTION: In their living room, Cindi and Todd sit together. Cindi has long brown hair in a ponytail. She wears eyeglasses and a cream sweater. Todd has a shaved head and wears a black shirt.
CINDI: My name is Cindi, and I am Aya's mother.
TODD: My name's Todd, and I am Aya's dad.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: In a photograph, Cindi, Maya, Aya, and Todd pose with Aries, the large black dog, in the backyard. Todd has his arm around Aya, and she makes a peace sign. A photograph features Aya as a young child with her arm around Maya, as a toddler.
CINDI: She would have a multitude of all these sensory issues. Smells, light is a big thing, loud buzzers in school.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, Aya plays with Aries.
NARRATOR: School is one of Aya's greatest challenges.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: My grade nine experience was very terrible.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Cindi and Todd sit together.
CINDI: The fire alarms, the kids yelling.
TODD: Causes her great anxiety.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In her dark bedroom, Aya lies on her bed and scrolls on her smartphone. Aerial video footage shows a vehicle driving past the farm.
NARRATOR: As school routines and social life became harder for Aya, her family started looking for ways to help her cope. Help finally arrived at an animal-assisted therapy farm called Nourishing Hearts.
[Upbeat music plays]
[Sign Reads] Nourishing Hearts. Wellness Care Farm.
CINDI: This farm came across my plate.
AYA: And we visited the farm once, and I've been there ever since.
[Goats bleat]
DESCRIPTION: In a barn, goats stand in a pen. Julie sits on a small wooden table. She has shoulder-length black hair and wears a white-and-pink jacket, a yellow hooded sweater, and black pants.
NARRATOR: This amazing farm is run by someone who's equally as amazing.
[Goats bleat]
DESCRIPTION: In a playroom, Julie wears her yellow hooded sweater. In the pen beside the barn, the goats stand on the grass.
JULIE: I'm Julie Casey, and I'm a registered social worker. We're here today at Nourishing Hearts Wellness Care Farm here in Rodney, Ontario.
DESCRIPTION: Aya and Julie follow tire tracks in the grass towards the barn.
NARRATOR: Today, Aya has arrived at the farm for a therapy session with Julie.
JULIE: Ready to see the animals?
AYA: Yep.
[Pig snorts, goat bleats]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, the pig lies with hay on their snout. Goats walk to the pen fence.
JULIE: Hi guys, look who's here.
DESCRIPTION: In a playroom, Julie wears her yellow hooded sweater.
JULIE: We often start our sessions by going into the barn and saying hello to the animals.
[Sheep bleat]
DESCRIPTION: In a stall, a small goat stands in the hay. In a pen, a sheep walks towards a camera. A large, fluffy dog lies on the hay in the barn.
NARRATOR: At this farm, it's not just one furry friend who's here to help. There's an entire team of super therapy animals ready to support anyone who needs it.
DESCRIPTION: Aya pets a goat. In the interview in the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: If I'm stressed, they'll know and they'll come up to me. They'll be like, "Hey, can we get hugs?" And it's really sweet. I love them.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya hugs a brown horse.
AYA: Giving her a hug.
JULIE: Yeah, hugs.
DESCRIPTION: Animals wander in the barn. The brown horse, Bambi, stands by a wall.
JULIE NARRATES: We don't separate the animals. They all live together. They are a big, blended family. Bambi, our horse, she's like the mom.
DESCRIPTION: Aya strokes Bambi’s nose.
AYA: Hi Bambi, how are you?
DESCRIPTION: A brown goat with blue eyes stands on the hay-covered floor.
JULIE NARRATES: Then we have our goats. Our oldest goat is Blossom.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: Blossom, a white goat with brown spots, tries to lick the camera lens.
AYA: Because she has an underbite, whenever she looks up at you, it looks like she's smiling, and that just makes my day.
[Blossom bleats]
DESCRIPTION: Aya pets Blossom.
AYA: Happy girl.
DESCRIPTION: Yoda, a white goat with floppy ears, approaches the fence, and two brown goats walk away.
JULIE: And then we have Yoda. He's the big guy. He's the one with the floppy ears.
DESCRIPTION: Aya feeds the goats, and Yoda eats the hay.
AYA: Oh, Yoda.
JULIE: He's really pushy, isn't he?
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: He's one of the more chaotic ones.
DESCRIPTION: Julie feeds Yoda while Aya holds hay over the fence.
AYA: You can't have everything. You have to share.
DESCRIPTION: Two brown goats with blue eyes and dark brown legs and ears approach.
JULIE: And then there is Nelly and Jasper. They're the twins.
[Nelly bleats]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales. In the pen, Nelly chews hay.
AYA: Nelly's a bit more vocal, I think.
[Goats bleat]
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, Nellie walks toward Aya.
AYA: Nelly. You with your cute little she-beard.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: Jasper will like get on his back legs to try to get closer to your face.
[Julie laughs, smooch]
DESCRIPTION: Julie and Aya sit together, and Jasper stands on his back legs, putting his face next to Aya’s. She kisses his neck.
JULIE: Oh, hi, oh my gosh.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a pen, Aya and Julie pet a black sheep.
NARRATOR: Nourishing Hearts offers Aya, and others at the farm therapy through caring for animals and nature.
[Sheep baa]
DESCRIPTION: In the playroom, Julie wears her yellow hooded sweater. In the pen, a sheep stares at the camera as Bambi nibbles hay behind them.
JULIE NARRATES: We have diverse animals, so that if a child has a particular interest, they can gravitate to that one animal.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: Sweetpea is one of the two sheep here.
JULIE: Should we get some brushes?
AYA: Yeah.
DESCRIPTION: Aya and Julie brush Sweetpea, a black and white sheep.
JULIE: And we'll groom. Yeah, Sweetpea's behaving today.
[Aya chuckles]
AYA: That's not common.
DESCRIPTION: Aya and Julie pet Sweetpea.
JULIE: They just love to be scratched. He got the sweet spot.
AYA: Licking at the air.
JULIE: There you go. That gets that itch. Yeah.
AYA: Very happy.
[Sheep baas]
DESCRIPTION: The black sheep, Baa Baa, has a white spot on top of her head.
AYA: There's Baa Baa. She's a fluffy black sheep. Say hi, Baa Baa.
[Pig snorts]
DESCRIPTION: The pig with hay on their face peeks around a corner.
AYA: This is Cornelius. He's a potbelly pig. Look at Cornelius.
JULIE: Oh, he's up.
[Cornelius snorts]
AYA: He's all tucked in bed. Yeah, as pigs do.
[Cornelius snorts]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales. In the corner of the pen, Cornelius lies on the hay.
AYA: He kinda inhabits this one little room in the barn. That's his bedroom basically. He is very sleepy.
DESCRIPTION: In a room, Julie takes the white rabbit out of a hutch. The grey-and-white cat lies nearby on the floor.
NARRATOR: There's also a safe place for some quiet time with the bunnies and cats on the property as well.
DESCRIPTION: Aya pets a grey tabby, Chloe.
AYA: Oh, hi Chloe. Radish is this really soft white bunny.
DESCRIPTION: Julie holds the white rabbit, Radish, and Aya pets them.
AYA: Here's Radish. Absolute beautiful white bunny. It feels like touching a cotton pad.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: Fluffiest thing ever.
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, the fluffy white dog lies on the hay.
NARRATOR: George, a farm dog like none other, living at his best life in his golden years while protecting his flock.
AYA: Such an amazing boy.
DESCRIPTION: Julie and Aya pet George.
JULIE: He is blind and deaf, and he gets to do what he loves to do, and that's to guard animals.
AYA: He's the best guard for these guys.
[Goats bleat, Bambi neighs]
DESCRIPTION: A brown-and-white goat sniffs Baa Baa’s face. Aya brushes Sweetpea, and Julie brushes Bambi.
NARRATOR: Well, that's quite the crew of animal friends. And turns out these are some of the best friends Aya could ask for.
DESCRIPTION: Aya kisses the brown-and-white goat and brushes Bambi’s mane.
AYA: I'll go in, snuggle the animals, give them love, give them brushes. They've helped me handle stress.
[Goat bleats]
DESCRIPTION: Aya pets a brown goat with a black stripe down their back. In the playroom, Julie wears her yellow hooded sweater.
JULIE: The animals create a safe place to be. They're really welcoming, and when you come through that gate, you can be any way you want to be, and you are fully accepted.
DESCRIPTION: Aya pets Bambi.
AYA: Brightens up everyone's day when you see her.
DESCRIPTION: Aya smiles.
JULIE NARRATES: If somebody can just be who they are, what strengths will show? Who will they naturally be if they get to be just themselves?
DESCRIPTION: Aya pets Bambi between her eyes.
NARRATOR: According to her family, the impact that Nourishing Hearts has on Aya is undeniable.
[Upbeat music plays, whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: At the farm, Aya kisses the brown-and-white goat. At home in the living room, Cindi and Todd sit together. At the farm, Aya stands outside in a pen with the goats.
TODD NARRATES: Nourishing hearts helps Aya so much with her self-esteem, with her self-confidence. She has a sense of belonging at the farm. She has a sense of responsibility in terms of having to walk the goats.
DESCRIPTION: In a barn, Julie brushes Bambi, and Aya brushes Sweetpea.
JULIE: Sometimes leans against you if you brush like the sweet spots.
TODD NARRATES: So, Aya's become very recently, I would say quite independent.
[Bell dings]
DESCRIPTION: In London, Ontario, Aya walks on a sidewalk to the Village Pantry Restaurant. She enters and sits in a booth.
NARRATOR: Today, Aya's meeting some peers for lunch at the Village Pantry Diner. Something she would've struggled with in the past.
WAITRESS: What can we get for you?
AYA: A milkshake.
DESCRIPTION: In the booth, two teenage boys sit across from Aya. One has short blond hair and wears a red jacket. The other, Thomas, has short brown hair and wears a black hooded sweater. Everyone drinks milkshakes.
THOMAS NARRATES: My name is Thomas. Aya is my cousin. She's a great person. Love her. With the animals, Aya has become more independent. And it has helped a lot with her people skills. I think Aya would have a great future with helping with animals and caring for them.
[Aya laughs]
DESCRIPTION: Thomas takes one of the blond teen’s fries, and Aya laughs.
THOMAS: Keep your eyes on your fries.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: Aya and Thomas shake hands over the table.
NARRATOR: Aya really has come a long way. It seems like the sky's the limit. So, what's next for Aya?
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Cindi and Todd sit together. In the backyard, Aya plays with Aries and the stick.
CINDI: We are putting an expectation on her to have some type of volunteering or some other type of part-time jobs.
TODD NARRATES: She has expressed interest in volunteering at various animal shelters.
[Orange and white tabby meows, upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: In an animal shelter, two grey tabby kittens stand beneath a shelf holding a cat bed. An orange-and-white tabby peers through the door of their cage.
NARRATOR: Sounds like the perfect job for Aya. So today her dad is giving her a ride to the local cat rescue to test out her future interests.
[Engine rumbles]
DESCRIPTION: Todd drives his car with Aya in the passenger seat.
TODD: So why exactly do you want to go and do this?
AYA: I want these cats to know that they matter. They're important to people. They deserve a home, and that people love them.
DESCRIPTION: In the playroom, Julie wears her yellow hooded sweater. In the car, Todd and Aya smile.
JULIE: I really hope that Aya chooses to work with animals because she is so aware of the animals' needs.
DESCRIPTION: In a parking lot, Aya and Todd leave the car.
NARRATOR: Aya has arrived to volunteer at Salt Cat Rescue run out of PetSmart in North London, where she'll discover if working with animals could be a fit.
DESCRIPTION: Irene, a woman with short brown hair, stands in the pet store. She wears a grey sweatshirt with smiling cats on the front.
IRENE: Hi, my name's Irene. I'm a volunteer here. I'm gonna have Aya help me with Meatball. He's a big orange cat.
[Meatball meows, tense music plays]
DESCRIPTION: The orange-and-white tabby, Meatball, walks to a camera. Irene takes Meatball out of his cage and gives him to Aya.
NARRATOR: Meatball needs eyedrops to help with an infection. It's Aya's job to hold Meatball and keep him calm while Irene administers the drops.
[Irene tcks tcks at Meatball]
IRENE: Can I see your eye for minute?
DESCRIPTION: Aya scratches Meatball’s neck, and he lies back against her shoulder. Irene puts an eyedrop in Meatball’s eye.
NARRATOR: Wow, she's done it.
[Irene chuckles, upbeat music plays]
AYA: He's laying in my arms, happy.
DESCRIPTION: In an interview, Irene stands by the cages.
IRENE: Meatball does not like getting drops. And she did a wonderful job. She held him. He didn't try to get away. She comforted him. I got the drop in. You can't usually do that. She did a really good job.
IRENE: You like having attention. He's a good cat. He's a really laid-down cat.
DESCRIPTION: Aya puts Meatball on the floor.
AYA: There we go.
DESCRIPTION: In an interview, Irene stands in the pet store.
IRENE: We have some new cats and kittens here. So Aya today will be coming to the familiar ones. We have a couple of crazy kittens that love to get out that she can play with.
[Bells jingle]
DESCRIPTION: Irene opens a cage door, and one of the two grey tabbies walks out. The other kitten watches from inside the cage. Aya sits on the floor, shaking a toy. She picks up the kitten and hugs them.
IRENE: He’s coming out. Come on, see if you can hold 'em. He might not let you.
AYA: I mean, she's lying.
IRENE: Oh, you've got the magic touch. They love it when they can have a cuddle.
DESCRIPTION: Aya waves the cat toy, and the kitten swats at it. Meatball sits in the corner, looking through a window into the store.
IRENE NARRATES: I think that Aya would do really well working with animals. I think that she just has a natural affinity to them.
[Kitten meows]
DESCRIPTION: Aya picks up one of the kittens. Meatball lies on the floor, and Aya pets him.
AYA: I feel really happy I got to hug all the cats. I got to give them snuggles. I think I could definitely work with animals in the future.
DESCRIPTION: Aya stretches and pets a kitten on top of the cages. She fills a bowl with kibble and pours water into a second bowl.
NARRATOR: It's incredible to watch Aya apply all she's learned at Nourishing Heart's Farm. The impact these therapy animals have had on her life is amazing.
[Goat bleats, background chatter]
DESCRIPTION: At the farm in the pen, Aya pets the brown-and-white goat. In the living room, Cindi and Todd sit together. In the pen, Julie and Aya pet a goat.
TODD: I think what Julie's been able to do with her and develop so many skills through working with the animals has been invaluable, because I don't believe that Aya would be where she is now.
[Goat bleats]
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, Aya brushes Sweetpea, and Julie brushes Bambi.
AYA: You love these guys.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: If you have autism, I don't think you should be embarrassed about it. Yeah, there's challenges, but you have to adapt.
DESCRIPTION: In the playroom, Julie wears her yellow hooded sweater.
JULIE: I'm just really grateful that she is a part of the family, because we also get a lot from Aya.
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, Aya and Julie pet goats. In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales. In the outdoor pen, she makes two peace signs with her fingers.
AYA NARRATES: This place is my happy place, and these guys have done nothing but improve my life and how I perceive myself.
[Goats bleat, sheep baas, whoosh, women laugh, toy jingles, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Aya stands in the pen with the goats and Baa Baa. At the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides training facility in Breslau, Ontario, two women hold the puppies wearing the blue and black collars. In the fenced yard, the blue-collared puppy shakes a toy and walks past the slide.
WOMAN: And they're exploring.
DESCRIPTION: A boy with short brown hair holds the black-collared puppy.
BOY: Hey buddy.
DESCRIPTION: The puppy slides down the slide. By the shed, a brown-haired woman wearing a black jacket holds the two puppies. By the trampoline, the puppies wrestle. Aerial footage shows the training centre and the surrounding grassy land.
NARRATOR: It's a playground for puppies, and today, eight-week-old Eeyore and Eloise are getting a taste of the great outdoors while having loads of fun at Lion's Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. Foster puppy and early training unit manager, Lucy, has some extra hands from 8-year-old Luke and 12-year-old London.
DESCRIPTION: Lucy has shoulder-length brown hair and wears a red jacket. The brown-haired boy, Luke, takes the black-collared puppy, Eeyore, from Lucy. London, a girl with long blonde hair, carries the blue-collared puppy, Eloise.
LUCY: How cute is he?
DESCRIPTION: Luke holds Eeyore and smiles.
LUKE: Really cute.
LUCY: Thank you.
[Lucy laughs, ears flap]
DESCRIPTION: Luke kneels on the ground and adjusts Eeyore’s collar. Beneath the slide, Eeyore shakes his head. The puppies play with toys in the pool. Eloise runs to a staircase, walks up one step, and then steps back to the ground beneath a railing. Eloise sniffs a camera.
LUCY: We've got a pool with lots of toys in. We've got some slides and some stairs for them to get used to climbing up. Some of the toys make noises, so that way they're not scared of different noises and things as well. We've got things that are soft and cuddly for them to get used to touching.
[Soft growls]
DESCRIPTION: In the pool, London shakes a toy, and Eloise tugs on it.
LUCY: It gives them a chance to get used to being outside, to build their confidence, to get used to new, different environments. Able to explore them to build their confidence.
LONDON: Is his stick-
[Both children laugh, Eeyore vocalizes softly]
DESCRIPTION: London picks up a small stick. Eeyore picks up a toy and holds it over the pool.
LONDON: You are so cute.
[Eloise pants, pool rustles, toy squeaks]
DESCRIPTION: Each child holds a puppy. They put the puppies down, and Eloise jumps into the pool full of toys. She wags her tail, and Luke crouches down and pets her. Eloise bites a toy.
NARRATOR: Interactive play helps puppies build confidence by exposing them to new environments, sounds, smells, and surfaces in a safe and engaging way. This kind of play prepares them for the transition out of the nursery by introducing unfamiliar situations.
DESCRIPTION: Luke and London sit together on the grass. Luke carries Eeyore and puts him on the grass.
LUKE: I'm playing with Eeyore for most of the time and carrying him around, playing with him and having fun.
[Toy squeaks]
DESCRIPTION: Eloise runs across the concrete and picks up a blue toy.
LONDON: I was playing with the puppies and getting them used to the bigger world.
DESCRIPTION: London carries Eloise to the trampoline.
LONDON: You wanna go on the trampoline?
DESCRIPTION: London and Luke sit on the grass.
LONDON: The puppies were super cute and fun and energetic and stuff and playful, and they were really soft and warm.
DESCRIPTION: Eeyore runs across the grass and chews a leaf stuck on his nose.
LUKE: They got the puppies zoomies. Very playful.
DESCRIPTION: Luke hugs Eeyore.
NARRATOR: So, remember that play is an important part of learning and growing for both puppies and kids.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a dining room, the blond-haired teen, Reese, holds a camera and waves.
REESE: Hello, camera.
DESCRIPTION: In front of a barn, Reese sits for an interview. They wear their hair tied back and have piercings in their ears, nose, bottom lip, and above one eye.
REESE: I'm Reese. I'm 16 years old. I've got 13 piercings. I love making my funny faces in the camera. I'm non-binary. My pronouns are they/them. This is my brother, Wren.
DESCRIPTION: In front of the barn, Wren sits on a wooden step. He has long, two-toned blue hair, wears eyeglasses, a black-and-pink sleeveless shirt, and a pink tulle skirt.
WREN: I'm Wren, I'm 14. Reese is a great older sibling. They are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in.
[Cat meows]
DESCRIPTION: Near hay rolls, Reese and Wren pose with their parents. Their mom has shoulder-length brown hair and wears a white turtleneck sweater and black pants. Their dad has short brown hair and wears eyeglasses, a red shirt, and blue jeans. In a house, Reese pets a white cat and then holds a green-and-brown snake.
NARRATOR: Reese and Wren live with their mom and dad in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as well as a cat, two snakes…
[Smooch]
DESCRIPTION: Reese kisses the snake as Wren stands behind them.
REESE: She's my sweetheart.
[Reese imitates a bird call]
DESCRIPTION: In a cage, a budgie swings on a stick.
NARRATOR: And two birds.
REESE: One of them is blue and white, and the other is like a yellow and green.
DESCRIPTION: In a living room, Reese’s mom, Patricia, sits with her back to a window.
PATRICIA: I'm Patricia, I'm Reese's mom.
DESCRIPTION: Reese’s dad, Mike, sits beside her.
MIKE: I'm Mike, I'm Reese's dad.
DESCRIPTION: A photograph shows Reese as a toddler, standing beside a fence with two goats on the other side. A goat pokes their nose through the fence wire. As a young teenager, Reese pets a miniature horse.
PATRICIA NARRATES: Reese has always loved animals. Reese has always been a great child. Really smart, really fun.
[Soft music plays]
DESCRIPTION: A photograph taken by the ocean features Reese sitting on a rock, gazing out at the foaming water churning against the rocks.
PATRICIA: But we did notice in junior high life got a bit harder for them, especially when they were coming out and not being accepted as much by people. Kids were challenging them, saying some really rude things.
DESCRIPTION: In front of the barn, Reese holds the goat kid.
REESE: School was a struggle. As a trans teenager, there's always gonna be bullies, and there's always gonna be those people.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Patricia and Mike sit together.
PATRICIA: For a while, Reese was really sad and didn't wanna leave the house and didn't wanna go to school very much.
DESCRIPTION: A photograph shows Reese with a snake on their shoulder. In front of the barn, Reese holds the goat kid.
NARRATOR: Reese was eventually diagnosed with depression, anxiety and P.T.S.D. For them, growing up wasn't just about discovering who they are; it was about surviving.
REESE: I had to go to the hospital to make sure that I was safe and okay.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Reese looks down at the ground. A photograph shows them holding a young goat in a pen.
NARRATOR: Knowing how deeply Reese connects with animals, their mom began searching for something, somewhere that might help.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Patricia and Mike sit together.
PATRICIA: The presence of animals was important to them. And I did read an article about Ataraxy Farm and the mental health and wellness focus that they had. And so I said, well, what about we go to this farm and check it out?
REESE: And we decided right then and there, from the hospital couch that I was sitting on, we would book a tour, and I fell in love with the place immediately.
[Rooster crows, horses neigh, goats bleat]
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, chickens peck at the ground. Horses and goats eat hay. A goat walks up a wooden walkway, and a large bird of prey soars over the water.
NARRATOR: Ataraxy Farm is just a short drive along the coast from Halifax in Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia.
[Road Sign Text Reads] Welcome to Lawrencetown. Halifax. www.LawrenceTownCC.com. Love is a verb. Our Ocean Playground.
[Upbeat music continues, dog barks, goats bleat]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, a goat chews hay. The rooster and two hens stand in front of a chicken coop, and outside, a goat and the white goat kid stand near a wooden fence.
REESE: Within like the first 10 minutes of my tour, I was like, I wanna work here. The owner, Blair, told me about the volunteer program, and I signed up the second I got home.
[Goat sniffs]
DESCRIPTION: A black and white goat kid walks with an adult goat following them. The white goat kid stands by the fence, a piece of straw dangling from their mouth. Reese scratches a goat’s head.
REESE: We are going to go see some girl goats. Those the babies? Those two were just born. Loved goats my entire life. They can be super affectionate when they wanna be. They like their cuddles, they like to play.
DESCRIPTION: A brown and white goat with long horns nudges Reese’s arm.
REESE: Hi, baby.
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, Reese crouches beside a small white goat and scratches their head. A white goat with black marks on their face stands nearby.
REESE: And this girl right here, this is Taffy and Bullet. They love attention.
NARRATOR: But there's one goat for Reese who stands out from the rest.
DESCRIPTION: Reese pets the brown-and-white goat with long horns, Lucy.
REESE: This is Lucy. She's my best friend in the whole wide world. I think she's the most beautiful girl.
NARRATOR: Lucy's medium brown with bold black stripes and triangle markings on her legs and a little beard.
DESCRIPTION: In an outdoor pen, Reese crouches beside Lucy and strokes her back. In front of the barn, Reese holds the sleeping goat kid. A photograph features younger Reese standing in front of Lucy, who does not have horns.
REESE: Lucy and I have always been close, and she feels comfortable with me. My first day here volunteering, one of the volunteers who was also a kid said, oh no, you gotta stay away from her, she'll hit you. And I went right up, and I just started petting her, and I was like, what do you mean? Like she's completely fine with me. And they took a step towards her, and I saw right then how Lucy's entire behaviour changed.
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together, wearing matching grey “Meet your farmer” t-shirts. Kim has long blonde hair in a ponytail. Blair has short grey hair and a stubbly moustache and beard.
KIM: My name's Kim. This is my husband, Blair.
BLAIR: Lucy was traumatized here and bullied also when she was a baby.
KIM: When she was a baby.
DESCRIPTION: Reese sits on the ground and pets Lucy’s face.
BLAIR: So, she has social anxiety, hence why she doesn't like people going near her. But Reese took right to Lucy and Lucy took right to Reese. So, they had that special connection from the start. And ever since then, Lucy has been Reese's goat.
REESE: She's my precious girl.
[Lucy bleats]
DESCRIPTION: Reese pets Lucy.
BLAIR: It makes my heart feel good to see that the goat is helping the human and vice versa. The animals pick up on that energy, and they know when we're having a bad day.
DESCRIPTION: Kim enters a goat pen with a red-haired woman walking behind her. By a barn wall, Blair pets Lucy.
NARRATOR: Kim and Blair started Ataraxy Farm to help Blair cope with P.T.S.D. after his time serving in the war.
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
BLAIR: Post-traumatic stress disorder is that your brain just keeps reliving the traumatic event over and over again.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Kim milks a goat.
NARRATOR: They know firsthand just how deeply mental health can affect a person and the positive role that animals can potentially play in healing.
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
KIM: Mental health is really big for us, and when volunteers are able to interact with the animals, like even when they're like putting hay in or they're raking the pens.
[People laugh]
DESCRIPTION: In the outdoor goat pen, Reese rakes hay into a pile. A large black, white, and brown goat walks through the pile.
REESE: You're walking in my pile, Thor.
[Background chatter]
DESCRIPTION: Reese walks to where a teenage girl with long, dark brown hair pets a goat.
KIM: Or they're filling their waters, the animals will come up to them, and they can pet the animal while they're doing the chores. And that's something that we actually encourage here on the farm.
[Horse neighs, goat bleats]
DESCRIPTION: In a paddock, a horse sniffs a camera. In a pen, a goat lies next to a toddler slide with a basketball net on the side.
NARRATOR: And there are plenty of animals to choose from.
[Horse neighs, goat bleats, chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: The goat beside the slide, a donkey eats hay beside a horse, chickens walk on the grass, and two goats walk across the outdoor pen. In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
BLAIR: We have seven horses, three donkeys, a mule. We have 60 chickens, and we have 69 goats and counting, and we have two more that are ready to kid any day now. One's actually in labour possibly today or starting tomorrow.
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, Reese pets Lucy. A black-and-white goat kid lies near hay.
NARRATOR: Reese is especially excited because one of the moms is Lucy's aunt. That means the new baby will carry on the family tradition of names starting with L.
DESCRIPTION: Reese drives a car.
REESE: An L baby, I'm so excited. I'm really hoping it's a girl.
[Background chatter]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Reese carries the black-and-white goat kid. They walk through a crowded goat pen. Outside, Reese, smiling, holds a small goat and kisses their neck.
NARRATOR: Over time, Ataraxy has grown into a peaceful sanctuary for Reese. A place that gives them the space they need to help them feel stronger, happier, and more like themselves again.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Kim carries a bag and walks towards the barn with goats following her.
KIM: Let's go, let's go, let's go.
DESCRIPTION: In front of the barn, Reese holds the sleeping goat kid. In the barn, Reese pets the black-and-white goat kid, and Wren crouches beside them.
REESE: When I'm here I get, I tend to like forget about my phone, forget about things outside of here. It's just focusing all on the animals.
[Goats bleat, rooster crows]
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
KIM: With all our volunteers, as they grow, as we see progression, and we start giving them more responsibilities.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Reese carries an armful of hay. Reese rakes straw and, in the outdoor pen, carries more hay.
NARRATOR: And there are nonstop chores to be done. Raking out the pens, milking the goats, and making sure they have food and water.
DESCRIPTION: Reese carries a pail into the barn.
REESE: Hey, can we move so I can get this in?
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: Reese scratches a goat under their chin. Outside, Reese and the brown-haired teenage girl shovel hay over the side of a fence, out of the goat pen.
REESE: My favourite thing to do here would be spending time with the goats and just getting to clean out their stalls and stuff so that they can have a clean place to sleep. And it makes them happy. And making them happy makes me happy.
[Chickens cluck, goats bleat]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, the goats stand in a line at a feeder and eat hay. Outside, a small goat jumps off a tire.
NARRATOR: Since starting here as a volunteer a year ago, Reese is now taking on a lot more responsibility. They're now running the day camps, mentoring youth volunteers.
DESCRIPTION: Reese walks to the brown-haired teenage girl.
REESE: Hi, I'm Reese. Nice to meet you.
DESCRIPTION: Reese shakes hands with the brown-haired teenage girl, Theresa.
THERESA: Theresa.
[Rakes scrape]
DESCRIPTION: Reese and Theresa rake hay in the outdoor pen.
REESE: So, we're just gonna start raking the pens and stuff.
NARRATOR: And helping out in the farm store.
DESCRIPTION: At the store counter, Reese types on a card reading machine, and then reaches beneath the counter.
REESE: Well, thank you. I'll get you a little baggy, 'cause you got a lot of stuff.
DESCRIPTION: In front of the store, Reese stands on a porch as two adults approach. A woman has long brown hair and wears sunglasses, a grey t-shirt, and blue jeans. A man has short brown hair and a beard. He wears a black ball cap, a plaid shirt, and blue jeans.
REESE: Hi, my name's Reese. I'm gonna take you guys on your tour today.
DESCRIPTION: In front of the barn, Reese holds the sleeping goat kid. Video footage shows Reese leading the tour to the horses. They enter the chicken coop, and then the brown-haired woman pets the black-and-white goat kid.
REESE: I started by being on a tour, and now I'm a tour guide who gets to help them find this place and connect with the animals. That makes me really happy.
BROWN-HAIRED WOMAN: They are so soft. Can I take them home?
[Brown-haired woman laughs]
REESE: Sadly, no, you cannot take them home.
[Rake scrapes]
DESCRIPTION: Reese rakes hay across the ground.
NARRATOR: As Kim and Blair continue to give Reese more responsibility on the farm, there's a big task that they think Reese is ready to take on.
DESCRIPTION: In front of the barn, Reese crouches beside Violet, a young woman who wears her long brown hair in a ponytail. Violet wears a grey “Meet your farmer” t-shirt.
REESE: This is Violet. Violet trained me when I first started coming here.
DESCRIPTION: In a wide dirt paddock, Violet holds a tan horse’s lead as she and Reese pet the horse’s sides.
NARRATOR: Reese and Violet have an important job to do with a horse named Jocko.
[Jocko snorts, neighs]
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together. In a paddock, the tan horse, Jocko, hangs his head over the gate.
KIM: So today, Reese is gonna learn how to administer medication to one of our horses. He has breathing issues, so he gets this medication daily.
[Tense music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the wide paddock, Violet stands in front of Jocko and holds his head over her shoulder.
REESE: Violet, are you holding him in a good position?
VIOLET: Yep.
REESE: Jock, you ready?
DESCRIPTION: In an interview, Reese stands beside a paddock fence.
REESE: Violet and I are about to give Jocko his Dex, which is a little syringe of medicine. I've given the goats their medicine and stuff, but I've never done it to Jocko, because he really doesn't like it.
REESE: Are you ready, bud? I'm excited.
[Jocko snorts]
DESCRIPTION: In the wide paddock, Reese and Violet stroke Jocko’s face. In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
KIM: The animals will only allow you to do something to them if they trust you.
DESCRIPTION: In the wide paddock, Reese and Violet stand with Jocko.
REESE: All right, Jock, you ready?
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Reese gives Jocko a needle at the side of his mouth. They pet his neck and smile.
REESE: There we go, baby, you did so good. It was a lot easier than I expected, of course, because I had Violet to help out. And it would've been a lot harder without her. I think it went really good.
[Jocko neighs]
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
KIM: But today Reese built that trust with Jock.
REESE: You did so good.
DESCRIPTION: In the wide paddock, Reese and Violet pet Jocko.
[Phone rings]
DESCRIPTION: In their house, Reese speaks directly into the camera.
REESE: I just got the message that Lola, one of the goats on the farm is going into labor and her baby is gonna be born soon.
DESCRIPTION: Reese leaves their house and drives the car.
NARRATOR: With the baby about to be born any second and a 45-minute drive ahead, the race is on.
REESE: We're like speeding, trying to get there.
[Train horn blares]
DESCRIPTION: Reese waits behind another vehicle as a train passes, blocking the road.
REESE: And there's a train going by; hoping Lola can hold off for a little bit longer because I really wanna be there for this.
NARRATOR: This birth means a lot to Reese. It's part of the L line. Reese is especially hoping for a girl.
[Door handle rattles]
DESCRIPTION: At the farm, Reese gets out of the car.
REESE: Okay, let's go.
DESCRIPTION: Reese enters the barn.
REESE NARRATES: So, we rushed down here as fast as we could.
REESE: Hi.
DESCRIPTION: Reese and another teenager watch Lola give birth through slats in a stall fence.
REESE NARRATES: And made it just in time to see Lola give birth to her beautiful baby boy.
PEOPLE EXCLAIM: Here we go.
DESCRIPTION: A brown and white goat kid sticks his tongue out. The kid lies on the straw by Lola, and Lola cleans his head.
REESE: Lola just gave birth to her first little baby, baby boy named Leonardo or Leo. Personally, I was hoping for a baby girl, but a boy works too. I'm happy either way, as long as the baby's healthy and breathing.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Reese leans on the stall fence and laughs. In the interview in front of the barn, Reese holds the sleeping goat kid. Video footage shows goats walking in their outdoor pen.
REESE: To me, this place is, it's my comfort space. The animals are amazing. Getting to see them living their lives and being so happy, I envy them. I wish I was a goat who just got to walk around all day and my biggest worry was when milking time was.
NARRATOR: And it looks like Leonardo will have a sibling.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Kim and another woman sit on the straw. Blair smiles and pets Lola’s face.
REESE: Lola is probably gonna have another baby any minute now.
BLAIR: That a girl.
KIM: Push, push, push, push.
[Lola bleats, upbeat music plays]
REESE: You're doing amazing. Baby girl?
KIM: It's a girl.
REESE: It's a baby girl. I'm crying.
[Reese chuckles]
DESCRIPTION: Reese wipes tears from the corner of their eye. In the stall, a goat kid stands by Lola. In the interview in front of the barn, Reese holds the sleeping white goat kid with the brown streak over their eye.
REESE: This place has taught me a lot about the good and the bad. The full cycle of life on the farm and everything that comes with being a farmer and farming.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Reese smiles as they watch a person scratch a newborn goat kid’s head.
NARRATOR: The positive impact Ataraxy Farm has on Reese is undeniable.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Patricia sits with the window behind her.
PATRICIA: It gave them a reason to get up every day on time, give them a good routine.
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, Reese kneels with a baby goat kid on their lap. Wren pets Lola.
REESE: Wren, this girl here, this is Maya.
NARRATOR: Reese has started attending school regularly again, and their grades have improved dramatically.
[Hay rustles]
DESCRIPTION: At the farm, Reese and Violet each pick up an armful of hay in the barn and carry it outside. In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together. In the barn, Reese puts hay in a feeder.
BLAIR: Reese is doing so much better in school now. One of their teachers expressed to me how much they've grown and how much the change in the attitude.
[Shovel scrapes]
DESCRIPTION: Outside in the goat pen, Reese and Theresa shovel hay over the fence.
REESE: Super big pile of it up.
DESCRIPTION: At the barn door, Reese sits beside a blonde-haired teenage girl who pets a goat.
REESE NARRATES: I'm not a very trusting person, and I started opening up because I've felt accepted here since the first time I was ever here.
BLAIR: Reese is allowed to be themselves. Everybody's equal here, and it's a team.
[Rakes scrape]
DESCRIPTION: As Reese and Theresa clean the pen, a large white goat rubs against Reese as they walk past. Reese turns and looks at the goat.
REESE: Ah, hi. Spatial awareness, please, Loki.
DESCRIPTION: In the outdoor pen, Reese and Violet each hold a goat kid.
WOMAN OFF-CAMERA SHOUTS: Let's go.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: In the stall, Kim pets Leo. In front of the barn, Reese holds the goat kid.
REESE: Kim's name in my phone is Mama Bear Boss Lady because she can go Mama Bear. She protects her own, and they've protected me and supported me through a lot.
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
KIM: They're more content with themselves, which is a huge thing.
DESCRIPTION: Reese and Theresa shovel the hay in the pen.
BLAIR: And that's the farm. Like it's the power of the animal and them. Allowing them to be safe here.
KIM: Yep.
DESCRIPTION: In the outdoor pen, Reese scratches a goat kid’s head. At the barn door, they sit on a step, lean back, and kiss a brown-and-white goat. Reese and the blonde-haired teenage girl laugh and point at each other.
REESE: Any kids who are struggling, animals are an amazing escape from humans. Animals can really help people. I didn't know what I wanted to do in my future when I started volunteering here. And now I know I want to work with animals, and I wanna have my own little farm.
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
KIM: The sky's the limit for Reese.
DESCRIPTION: In the outdoor pen, Reese scratches under Lucy’s chin.
REESE: Aren't you my beautiful girl, Lucy.
[Title] Collar of Duty Kids.
[Tense music plays]
[Text Reads] If you or someone you know ever feels overwhelmed or needs someone to talk to, there’s help available. In Canada, you can call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868, text connect to 686868, or visit KidsHelpPhone.ca to chat online. They’re available twenty-four seven, and it’s free and confidential.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
[End Credits] Directed and Produced by Laura Lillie. Featuring Aya and the farm animals, Reese and the goats. Narrator: Craig Smith. Executive Producers: Laura Lillie, Raj Panikkar, Christopher Szarka. Original Theme Music Joel Silver. Copyright 2025 Purple Panda Productions Incorporated. All rights reserved.
DESCRIPTION: The Purple Panda Productions Incorporated logo includes a photo of a child and a German Shepherd.
[Logo] S.M.I. Summerhill Media Incorporated.
[Logo] Produced in association with A.M.I.
Descriptive Transcript
[Upbeat music plays, goats bleat, meow]
DESCRIPTION: In an outdoor pen, two brown goats and a white goat stand on the grass. A horse grazes in a paddock, a pig lies in a barn stall with hay on their snout, and a person holds a white rabbit as another person pets it. A teenage girl with long, curly brown hair hugs a grey and white cat. She wears a black sweater.
NARRATOR: A blended family made up of farm animals helps 16-year-old Aya find confidence and belonging.
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, the curly-haired girl, Aya, pets a white goat.
AYA: This place is my happy place.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: In a fenced yard, a puppy wearing a blue collar slides down a toddler slide. The puppy plays with another puppy wearing a black collar.
NARRATOR: It's cuteness overload at a playground for future dog guide puppies.
[Whoosh, goats bleat, horses neigh]
DESCRIPTION: At a farm, a teenager with their blond hair in a ponytail carries a shovel full of hay. They wear a grey-blue t-shirt and green-grey pants. They sit cross-legged on the ground, petting a goat. In a paddock, horses swish their tails and nibble on bales of hay.
NARRATOR: A teen finds purpose with goats at a farm that supports mental health.
DESCRIPTION: In front of a barn, the blond-haired teenager sits on a rock, holding a small white goat kid with a line of brown fur over their eye.
BLOND-HAIRED TEENAGER: This place is a comfort space.
[Bright music plays, dog barks]
DESCRIPTION: In an animation, a dog runs with a ball in their mouth. A red vest appears on the dog, and the dog sits and watches a squirrel run past. The vest has a Collar of Duty badge on the front.
NARRATOR: When my vest is on duty calls. When kids and animals team up, the paws-abilities are endless. Collar of Duty Kids.
[Title] Collar of Duty Kids.
[Logo] Collar of Duty.
[Upbeat music plays, cat meows]
DESCRIPTION: In a room, Aya pets the grey-and-white cat, then picks them up.
AYA: Hey girl, you wanna say hi to the camera?
DESCRIPTION: In a goat pen, Aya makes two peace signs as she stands with two white goats. In a backyard, Aya holds a stick and a large black dog tugs on it.
NARRATOR: Meet Aya, a witty teen who loves playing fetch with their family dog, Aries.
DESCRIPTION: In a barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: I'm Aya, and I'm 16.
NARRATOR: And gaming with her sister Maya.
DESCRIPTION: In a living room, Aya and Maya sit on the floor, each holding a console controller. Maya has long brown hair and wears a lilac hooded sweater.
AYA: You underestimate my abilities.
MAYA: You are so talented.
AYA: One of us has to be.
[Both laugh, whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: Photographs on a mantel show a small grey-and-white dog and younger Aya hugging it. A dog tag for “Havok” is embedded in a stone with text that reads, “In memory of a faithful friend and …” A white dog figurine blocks the bottom of the stone. Another photo shows Maya hugging the grey-and-white dog.
AYA: This is the dog wall. This is Farley, absolute sweetheart. Puppy heaven looks adorable. I love them. This is commonly been referred to as my den. Everyone tends to joke that I'm a vampire because I don't leave the house often.
[She chuckles, eerie music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a dark room, Aya lies on her bed.
AYA: And I prefer the darkness over the light. My bedroom has only one window that I can barely see out of. So, vampire? Possibly. Confirmed? No.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Photographs show Aya as a young child hugging a stuffed lamb toy and sitting beneath a tree, wearing sunglasses.
NARRATOR: Aya has also been through a lot. She has autism, which causes hypersensitivity and can make her social situations challenging.
DESCRIPTION: In their living room, Cindi and Todd sit together. Cindi has long brown hair in a ponytail. She wears eyeglasses and a cream sweater. Todd has a shaved head and wears a black shirt.
CINDI: My name is Cindi, and I am Aya's mother.
TODD: My name's Todd, and I am Aya's dad.
[Whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: In a photograph, Cindi, Maya, Aya, and Todd pose with Aries, the large black dog, in the backyard. Todd has his arm around Aya, and she makes a peace sign. A photograph features Aya as a young child with her arm around Maya, as a toddler.
CINDI: She would have a multitude of all these sensory issues. Smells, light is a big thing, loud buzzers in school.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, Aya plays with Aries.
NARRATOR: School is one of Aya's greatest challenges.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: My grade nine experience was very terrible.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Cindi and Todd sit together.
CINDI: The fire alarms, the kids yelling.
TODD: Causes her great anxiety.
[Light music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In her dark bedroom, Aya lies on her bed and scrolls on her smartphone. Aerial video footage shows a vehicle driving past the farm.
NARRATOR: As school routines and social life became harder for Aya, her family started looking for ways to help her cope. Help finally arrived at an animal-assisted therapy farm called Nourishing Hearts.
[Upbeat music plays]
[Sign Reads] Nourishing Hearts. Wellness Care Farm.
CINDI: This farm came across my plate.
AYA: And we visited the farm once, and I've been there ever since.
[Goats bleat]
DESCRIPTION: In a barn, goats stand in a pen. Julie sits on a small wooden table. She has shoulder-length black hair and wears a white-and-pink jacket, a yellow hooded sweater, and black pants.
NARRATOR: This amazing farm is run by someone who's equally as amazing.
[Goats bleat]
DESCRIPTION: In a playroom, Julie wears her yellow hooded sweater. In the pen beside the barn, the goats stand on the grass.
JULIE: I'm Julie Casey, and I'm a registered social worker. We're here today at Nourishing Hearts Wellness Care Farm here in Rodney, Ontario.
DESCRIPTION: Aya and Julie follow tire tracks in the grass towards the barn.
NARRATOR: Today, Aya has arrived at the farm for a therapy session with Julie.
JULIE: Ready to see the animals?
AYA: Yep.
[Pig snorts, goat bleats]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, the pig lies with hay on their snout. Goats walk to the pen fence.
JULIE: Hi guys, look who's here.
DESCRIPTION: In a playroom, Julie wears her yellow hooded sweater.
JULIE: We often start our sessions by going into the barn and saying hello to the animals.
[Sheep bleat]
DESCRIPTION: In a stall, a small goat stands in the hay. In a pen, a sheep walks towards a camera. A large, fluffy dog lies on the hay in the barn.
NARRATOR: At this farm, it's not just one furry friend who's here to help. There's an entire team of super therapy animals ready to support anyone who needs it.
DESCRIPTION: Aya pets a goat. In the interview in the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: If I'm stressed, they'll know and they'll come up to me. They'll be like, "Hey, can we get hugs?" And it's really sweet. I love them.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya hugs a brown horse.
AYA: Giving her a hug.
JULIE: Yeah, hugs.
DESCRIPTION: Animals wander in the barn. The brown horse, Bambi, stands by a wall.
JULIE NARRATES: We don't separate the animals. They all live together. They are a big, blended family. Bambi, our horse, she's like the mom.
DESCRIPTION: Aya strokes Bambi’s nose.
AYA: Hi Bambi, how are you?
DESCRIPTION: A brown goat with blue eyes stands on the hay-covered floor.
JULIE NARRATES: Then we have our goats. Our oldest goat is Blossom.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: Blossom, a white goat with brown spots, tries to lick the camera lens.
AYA: Because she has an underbite, whenever she looks up at you, it looks like she's smiling, and that just makes my day.
[Blossom bleats]
DESCRIPTION: Aya pets Blossom.
AYA: Happy girl.
DESCRIPTION: Yoda, a white goat with floppy ears, approaches the fence, and two brown goats walk away.
JULIE: And then we have Yoda. He's the big guy. He's the one with the floppy ears.
DESCRIPTION: Aya feeds the goats, and Yoda eats the hay.
AYA: Oh, Yoda.
JULIE: He's really pushy, isn't he?
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: He's one of the more chaotic ones.
DESCRIPTION: Julie feeds Yoda while Aya holds hay over the fence.
AYA: You can't have everything. You have to share.
DESCRIPTION: Two brown goats with blue eyes and dark brown legs and ears approach.
JULIE: And then there is Nelly and Jasper. They're the twins.
[Nelly bleats]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales. In the pen, Nelly chews hay.
AYA: Nelly's a bit more vocal, I think.
[Goats bleat]
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, Nellie walks toward Aya.
AYA: Nelly. You with your cute little she-beard.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: Jasper will like get on his back legs to try to get closer to your face.
[Julie laughs, smooch]
DESCRIPTION: Julie and Aya sit together, and Jasper stands on his back legs, putting his face next to Aya’s. She kisses his neck.
JULIE: Oh, hi, oh my gosh.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a pen, Aya and Julie pet a black sheep.
NARRATOR: Nourishing Hearts offers Aya, and others at the farm therapy through caring for animals and nature.
[Sheep baa]
DESCRIPTION: In the playroom, Julie wears her yellow hooded sweater. In the pen, a sheep stares at the camera as Bambi nibbles hay behind them.
JULIE NARRATES: We have diverse animals, so that if a child has a particular interest, they can gravitate to that one animal.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: Sweetpea is one of the two sheep here.
JULIE: Should we get some brushes?
AYA: Yeah.
DESCRIPTION: Aya and Julie brush Sweetpea, a black and white sheep.
JULIE: And we'll groom. Yeah, Sweetpea's behaving today.
[Aya chuckles]
AYA: That's not common.
DESCRIPTION: Aya and Julie pet Sweetpea.
JULIE: They just love to be scratched. He got the sweet spot.
AYA: Licking at the air.
JULIE: There you go. That gets that itch. Yeah.
AYA: Very happy.
[Sheep baas]
DESCRIPTION: The black sheep, Baa Baa, has a white spot on top of her head.
AYA: There's Baa Baa. She's a fluffy black sheep. Say hi, Baa Baa.
[Pig snorts]
DESCRIPTION: The pig with hay on their face peeks around a corner.
AYA: This is Cornelius. He's a potbelly pig. Look at Cornelius.
JULIE: Oh, he's up.
[Cornelius snorts]
AYA: He's all tucked in bed. Yeah, as pigs do.
[Cornelius snorts]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales. In the corner of the pen, Cornelius lies on the hay.
AYA: He kinda inhabits this one little room in the barn. That's his bedroom basically. He is very sleepy.
DESCRIPTION: In a room, Julie takes the white rabbit out of a hutch. The grey-and-white cat lies nearby on the floor.
NARRATOR: There's also a safe place for some quiet time with the bunnies and cats on the property as well.
DESCRIPTION: Aya pets a grey tabby, Chloe.
AYA: Oh, hi Chloe. Radish is this really soft white bunny.
DESCRIPTION: Julie holds the white rabbit, Radish, and Aya pets them.
AYA: Here's Radish. Absolute beautiful white bunny. It feels like touching a cotton pad.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: Fluffiest thing ever.
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, the fluffy white dog lies on the hay.
NARRATOR: George, a farm dog like none other, living at his best life in his golden years while protecting his flock.
AYA: Such an amazing boy.
DESCRIPTION: Julie and Aya pet George.
JULIE: He is blind and deaf, and he gets to do what he loves to do, and that's to guard animals.
AYA: He's the best guard for these guys.
[Goats bleat, Bambi neighs]
DESCRIPTION: A brown-and-white goat sniffs Baa Baa’s face. Aya brushes Sweetpea, and Julie brushes Bambi.
NARRATOR: Well, that's quite the crew of animal friends. And turns out these are some of the best friends Aya could ask for.
DESCRIPTION: Aya kisses the brown-and-white goat and brushes Bambi’s mane.
AYA: I'll go in, snuggle the animals, give them love, give them brushes. They've helped me handle stress.
[Goat bleats]
DESCRIPTION: Aya pets a brown goat with a black stripe down their back. In the playroom, Julie wears her yellow hooded sweater.
JULIE: The animals create a safe place to be. They're really welcoming, and when you come through that gate, you can be any way you want to be, and you are fully accepted.
DESCRIPTION: Aya pets Bambi.
AYA: Brightens up everyone's day when you see her.
DESCRIPTION: Aya smiles.
JULIE NARRATES: If somebody can just be who they are, what strengths will show? Who will they naturally be if they get to be just themselves?
DESCRIPTION: Aya pets Bambi between her eyes.
NARRATOR: According to her family, the impact that Nourishing Hearts has on Aya is undeniable.
[Upbeat music plays, whoosh]
DESCRIPTION: At the farm, Aya kisses the brown-and-white goat. At home in the living room, Cindi and Todd sit together. At the farm, Aya stands outside in a pen with the goats.
TODD NARRATES: Nourishing hearts helps Aya so much with her self-esteem, with her self-confidence. She has a sense of belonging at the farm. She has a sense of responsibility in terms of having to walk the goats.
DESCRIPTION: In a barn, Julie brushes Bambi, and Aya brushes Sweetpea.
JULIE: Sometimes leans against you if you brush like the sweet spots.
TODD NARRATES: So, Aya's become very recently, I would say quite independent.
[Bell dings]
DESCRIPTION: In London, Ontario, Aya walks on a sidewalk to the Village Pantry Restaurant. She enters and sits in a booth.
NARRATOR: Today, Aya's meeting some peers for lunch at the Village Pantry Diner. Something she would've struggled with in the past.
WAITRESS: What can we get for you?
AYA: A milkshake.
DESCRIPTION: In the booth, two teenage boys sit across from Aya. One has short blond hair and wears a red jacket. The other, Thomas, has short brown hair and wears a black hooded sweater. Everyone drinks milkshakes.
THOMAS NARRATES: My name is Thomas. Aya is my cousin. She's a great person. Love her. With the animals, Aya has become more independent. And it has helped a lot with her people skills. I think Aya would have a great future with helping with animals and caring for them.
[Aya laughs]
DESCRIPTION: Thomas takes one of the blond teen’s fries, and Aya laughs.
THOMAS: Keep your eyes on your fries.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: Aya and Thomas shake hands over the table.
NARRATOR: Aya really has come a long way. It seems like the sky's the limit. So, what's next for Aya?
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Cindi and Todd sit together. In the backyard, Aya plays with Aries and the stick.
CINDI: We are putting an expectation on her to have some type of volunteering or some other type of part-time jobs.
TODD NARRATES: She has expressed interest in volunteering at various animal shelters.
[Orange and white tabby meows, upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: In an animal shelter, two grey tabby kittens stand beneath a shelf holding a cat bed. An orange-and-white tabby peers through the door of their cage.
NARRATOR: Sounds like the perfect job for Aya. So today her dad is giving her a ride to the local cat rescue to test out her future interests.
[Engine rumbles]
DESCRIPTION: Todd drives his car with Aya in the passenger seat.
TODD: So why exactly do you want to go and do this?
AYA: I want these cats to know that they matter. They're important to people. They deserve a home, and that people love them.
DESCRIPTION: In the playroom, Julie wears her yellow hooded sweater. In the car, Todd and Aya smile.
JULIE: I really hope that Aya chooses to work with animals because she is so aware of the animals' needs.
DESCRIPTION: In a parking lot, Aya and Todd leave the car.
NARRATOR: Aya has arrived to volunteer at Salt Cat Rescue run out of PetSmart in North London, where she'll discover if working with animals could be a fit.
DESCRIPTION: Irene, a woman with short brown hair, stands in the pet store. She wears a grey sweatshirt with smiling cats on the front.
IRENE: Hi, my name's Irene. I'm a volunteer here. I'm gonna have Aya help me with Meatball. He's a big orange cat.
[Meatball meows, tense music plays]
DESCRIPTION: The orange-and-white tabby, Meatball, walks to a camera. Irene takes Meatball out of his cage and gives him to Aya.
NARRATOR: Meatball needs eyedrops to help with an infection. It's Aya's job to hold Meatball and keep him calm while Irene administers the drops.
[Irene tcks tcks at Meatball]
IRENE: Can I see your eye for minute?
DESCRIPTION: Aya scratches Meatball’s neck, and he lies back against her shoulder. Irene puts an eyedrop in Meatball’s eye.
NARRATOR: Wow, she's done it.
[Irene chuckles, upbeat music plays]
AYA: He's laying in my arms, happy.
DESCRIPTION: In an interview, Irene stands by the cages.
IRENE: Meatball does not like getting drops. And she did a wonderful job. She held him. He didn't try to get away. She comforted him. I got the drop in. You can't usually do that. She did a really good job.
IRENE: You like having attention. He's a good cat. He's a really laid-down cat.
DESCRIPTION: Aya puts Meatball on the floor.
AYA: There we go.
DESCRIPTION: In an interview, Irene stands in the pet store.
IRENE: We have some new cats and kittens here. So Aya today will be coming to the familiar ones. We have a couple of crazy kittens that love to get out that she can play with.
[Bells jingle]
DESCRIPTION: Irene opens a cage door, and one of the two grey tabbies walks out. The other kitten watches from inside the cage. Aya sits on the floor, shaking a toy. She picks up the kitten and hugs them.
IRENE: He’s coming out. Come on, see if you can hold 'em. He might not let you.
AYA: I mean, she's lying.
IRENE: Oh, you've got the magic touch. They love it when they can have a cuddle.
DESCRIPTION: Aya waves the cat toy, and the kitten swats at it. Meatball sits in the corner, looking through a window into the store.
IRENE NARRATES: I think that Aya would do really well working with animals. I think that she just has a natural affinity to them.
[Kitten meows]
DESCRIPTION: Aya picks up one of the kittens. Meatball lies on the floor, and Aya pets him.
AYA: I feel really happy I got to hug all the cats. I got to give them snuggles. I think I could definitely work with animals in the future.
DESCRIPTION: Aya stretches and pets a kitten on top of the cages. She fills a bowl with kibble and pours water into a second bowl.
NARRATOR: It's incredible to watch Aya apply all she's learned at Nourishing Heart's Farm. The impact these therapy animals have had on her life is amazing.
[Goat bleats, background chatter]
DESCRIPTION: At the farm in the pen, Aya pets the brown-and-white goat. In the living room, Cindi and Todd sit together. In the pen, Julie and Aya pet a goat.
TODD: I think what Julie's been able to do with her and develop so many skills through working with the animals has been invaluable, because I don't believe that Aya would be where she is now.
[Goat bleats]
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, Aya brushes Sweetpea, and Julie brushes Bambi.
AYA: You love these guys.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales.
AYA: If you have autism, I don't think you should be embarrassed about it. Yeah, there's challenges, but you have to adapt.
DESCRIPTION: In the playroom, Julie wears her yellow hooded sweater.
JULIE: I'm just really grateful that she is a part of the family, because we also get a lot from Aya.
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, Aya and Julie pet goats. In the barn, Aya stands in front of hay bales. In the outdoor pen, she makes two peace signs with her fingers.
AYA NARRATES: This place is my happy place, and these guys have done nothing but improve my life and how I perceive myself.
[Goats bleat, sheep baas, whoosh, women laugh, toy jingles, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Aya stands in the pen with the goats and Baa Baa. At the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides training facility in Breslau, Ontario, two women hold the puppies wearing the blue and black collars. In the fenced yard, the blue-collared puppy shakes a toy and walks past the slide.
WOMAN: And they're exploring.
DESCRIPTION: A boy with short brown hair holds the black-collared puppy.
BOY: Hey buddy.
DESCRIPTION: The puppy slides down the slide. By the shed, a brown-haired woman wearing a black jacket holds the two puppies. By the trampoline, the puppies wrestle. Aerial footage shows the training centre and the surrounding grassy land.
NARRATOR: It's a playground for puppies, and today, eight-week-old Eeyore and Eloise are getting a taste of the great outdoors while having loads of fun at Lion's Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. Foster puppy and early training unit manager, Lucy, has some extra hands from 8-year-old Luke and 12-year-old London.
DESCRIPTION: Lucy has shoulder-length brown hair and wears a red jacket. The brown-haired boy, Luke, takes the black-collared puppy, Eeyore, from Lucy. London, a girl with long blonde hair, carries the blue-collared puppy, Eloise.
LUCY: How cute is he?
DESCRIPTION: Luke holds Eeyore and smiles.
LUKE: Really cute.
LUCY: Thank you.
[Lucy laughs, ears flap]
DESCRIPTION: Luke kneels on the ground and adjusts Eeyore’s collar. Beneath the slide, Eeyore shakes his head. The puppies play with toys in the pool. Eloise runs to a staircase, walks up one step, and then steps back to the ground beneath a railing. Eloise sniffs a camera.
LUCY: We've got a pool with lots of toys in. We've got some slides and some stairs for them to get used to climbing up. Some of the toys make noises, so that way they're not scared of different noises and things as well. We've got things that are soft and cuddly for them to get used to touching.
[Soft growls]
DESCRIPTION: In the pool, London shakes a toy, and Eloise tugs on it.
LUCY: It gives them a chance to get used to being outside, to build their confidence, to get used to new, different environments. Able to explore them to build their confidence.
LONDON: Is his stick-
[Both children laugh, Eeyore vocalizes softly]
DESCRIPTION: London picks up a small stick. Eeyore picks up a toy and holds it over the pool.
LONDON: You are so cute.
[Eloise pants, pool rustles, toy squeaks]
DESCRIPTION: Each child holds a puppy. They put the puppies down, and Eloise jumps into the pool full of toys. She wags her tail, and Luke crouches down and pets her. Eloise bites a toy.
NARRATOR: Interactive play helps puppies build confidence by exposing them to new environments, sounds, smells, and surfaces in a safe and engaging way. This kind of play prepares them for the transition out of the nursery by introducing unfamiliar situations.
DESCRIPTION: Luke and London sit together on the grass. Luke carries Eeyore and puts him on the grass.
LUKE: I'm playing with Eeyore for most of the time and carrying him around, playing with him and having fun.
[Toy squeaks]
DESCRIPTION: Eloise runs across the concrete and picks up a blue toy.
LONDON: I was playing with the puppies and getting them used to the bigger world.
DESCRIPTION: London carries Eloise to the trampoline.
LONDON: You wanna go on the trampoline?
DESCRIPTION: London and Luke sit on the grass.
LONDON: The puppies were super cute and fun and energetic and stuff and playful, and they were really soft and warm.
DESCRIPTION: Eeyore runs across the grass and chews a leaf stuck on his nose.
LUKE: They got the puppies zoomies. Very playful.
DESCRIPTION: Luke hugs Eeyore.
NARRATOR: So, remember that play is an important part of learning and growing for both puppies and kids.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In a dining room, the blond-haired teen, Reese, holds a camera and waves.
REESE: Hello, camera.
DESCRIPTION: In front of a barn, Reese sits for an interview. They wear their hair tied back and have piercings in their ears, nose, bottom lip, and above one eye.
REESE: I'm Reese. I'm 16 years old. I've got 13 piercings. I love making my funny faces in the camera. I'm non-binary. My pronouns are they/them. This is my brother, Wren.
DESCRIPTION: In front of the barn, Wren sits on a wooden step. He has long, two-toned blue hair, wears eyeglasses, a black-and-pink sleeveless shirt, and a pink tulle skirt.
WREN: I'm Wren, I'm 14. Reese is a great older sibling. They are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in.
[Cat meows]
DESCRIPTION: Near hay rolls, Reese and Wren pose with their parents. Their mom has shoulder-length brown hair and wears a white turtleneck sweater and black pants. Their dad has short brown hair and wears eyeglasses, a red shirt, and blue jeans. In a house, Reese pets a white cat and then holds a green-and-brown snake.
NARRATOR: Reese and Wren live with their mom and dad in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as well as a cat, two snakes…
[Smooch]
DESCRIPTION: Reese kisses the snake as Wren stands behind them.
REESE: She's my sweetheart.
[Reese imitates a bird call]
DESCRIPTION: In a cage, a budgie swings on a stick.
NARRATOR: And two birds.
REESE: One of them is blue and white, and the other is like a yellow and green.
DESCRIPTION: In a living room, Reese’s mom, Patricia, sits with her back to a window.
PATRICIA: I'm Patricia, I'm Reese's mom.
DESCRIPTION: Reese’s dad, Mike, sits beside her.
MIKE: I'm Mike, I'm Reese's dad.
DESCRIPTION: A photograph shows Reese as a toddler, standing beside a fence with two goats on the other side. A goat pokes their nose through the fence wire. As a young teenager, Reese pets a miniature horse.
PATRICIA NARRATES: Reese has always loved animals. Reese has always been a great child. Really smart, really fun.
[Soft music plays]
DESCRIPTION: A photograph taken by the ocean features Reese sitting on a rock, gazing out at the foaming water churning against the rocks.
PATRICIA: But we did notice in junior high life got a bit harder for them, especially when they were coming out and not being accepted as much by people. Kids were challenging them, saying some really rude things.
DESCRIPTION: In front of the barn, Reese holds the goat kid.
REESE: School was a struggle. As a trans teenager, there's always gonna be bullies, and there's always gonna be those people.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Patricia and Mike sit together.
PATRICIA: For a while, Reese was really sad and didn't wanna leave the house and didn't wanna go to school very much.
DESCRIPTION: A photograph shows Reese with a snake on their shoulder. In front of the barn, Reese holds the goat kid.
NARRATOR: Reese was eventually diagnosed with depression, anxiety and P.T.S.D. For them, growing up wasn't just about discovering who they are; it was about surviving.
REESE: I had to go to the hospital to make sure that I was safe and okay.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Reese looks down at the ground. A photograph shows them holding a young goat in a pen.
NARRATOR: Knowing how deeply Reese connects with animals, their mom began searching for something, somewhere that might help.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Patricia and Mike sit together.
PATRICIA: The presence of animals was important to them. And I did read an article about Ataraxy Farm and the mental health and wellness focus that they had. And so I said, well, what about we go to this farm and check it out?
REESE: And we decided right then and there, from the hospital couch that I was sitting on, we would book a tour, and I fell in love with the place immediately.
[Rooster crows, horses neigh, goats bleat]
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, chickens peck at the ground. Horses and goats eat hay. A goat walks up a wooden walkway, and a large bird of prey soars over the water.
NARRATOR: Ataraxy Farm is just a short drive along the coast from Halifax in Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia.
[Road Sign Text Reads] Welcome to Lawrencetown. Halifax. www.LawrenceTownCC.com. Love is a verb. Our Ocean Playground.
[Upbeat music continues, dog barks, goats bleat]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, a goat chews hay. The rooster and two hens stand in front of a chicken coop, and outside, a goat and the white goat kid stand near a wooden fence.
REESE: Within like the first 10 minutes of my tour, I was like, I wanna work here. The owner, Blair, told me about the volunteer program, and I signed up the second I got home.
[Goat sniffs]
DESCRIPTION: A black and white goat kid walks with an adult goat following them. The white goat kid stands by the fence, a piece of straw dangling from their mouth. Reese scratches a goat’s head.
REESE: We are going to go see some girl goats. Those the babies? Those two were just born. Loved goats my entire life. They can be super affectionate when they wanna be. They like their cuddles, they like to play.
DESCRIPTION: A brown and white goat with long horns nudges Reese’s arm.
REESE: Hi, baby.
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, Reese crouches beside a small white goat and scratches their head. A white goat with black marks on their face stands nearby.
REESE: And this girl right here, this is Taffy and Bullet. They love attention.
NARRATOR: But there's one goat for Reese who stands out from the rest.
DESCRIPTION: Reese pets the brown-and-white goat with long horns, Lucy.
REESE: This is Lucy. She's my best friend in the whole wide world. I think she's the most beautiful girl.
NARRATOR: Lucy's medium brown with bold black stripes and triangle markings on her legs and a little beard.
DESCRIPTION: In an outdoor pen, Reese crouches beside Lucy and strokes her back. In front of the barn, Reese holds the sleeping goat kid. A photograph features younger Reese standing in front of Lucy, who does not have horns.
REESE: Lucy and I have always been close, and she feels comfortable with me. My first day here volunteering, one of the volunteers who was also a kid said, oh no, you gotta stay away from her, she'll hit you. And I went right up, and I just started petting her, and I was like, what do you mean? Like she's completely fine with me. And they took a step towards her, and I saw right then how Lucy's entire behaviour changed.
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together, wearing matching grey “Meet your farmer” t-shirts. Kim has long blonde hair in a ponytail. Blair has short grey hair and a stubbly moustache and beard.
KIM: My name's Kim. This is my husband, Blair.
BLAIR: Lucy was traumatized here and bullied also when she was a baby.
KIM: When she was a baby.
DESCRIPTION: Reese sits on the ground and pets Lucy’s face.
BLAIR: So, she has social anxiety, hence why she doesn't like people going near her. But Reese took right to Lucy and Lucy took right to Reese. So, they had that special connection from the start. And ever since then, Lucy has been Reese's goat.
REESE: She's my precious girl.
[Lucy bleats]
DESCRIPTION: Reese pets Lucy.
BLAIR: It makes my heart feel good to see that the goat is helping the human and vice versa. The animals pick up on that energy, and they know when we're having a bad day.
DESCRIPTION: Kim enters a goat pen with a red-haired woman walking behind her. By a barn wall, Blair pets Lucy.
NARRATOR: Kim and Blair started Ataraxy Farm to help Blair cope with P.T.S.D. after his time serving in the war.
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
BLAIR: Post-traumatic stress disorder is that your brain just keeps reliving the traumatic event over and over again.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Kim milks a goat.
NARRATOR: They know firsthand just how deeply mental health can affect a person and the positive role that animals can potentially play in healing.
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
KIM: Mental health is really big for us, and when volunteers are able to interact with the animals, like even when they're like putting hay in or they're raking the pens.
[People laugh]
DESCRIPTION: In the outdoor goat pen, Reese rakes hay into a pile. A large black, white, and brown goat walks through the pile.
REESE: You're walking in my pile, Thor.
[Background chatter]
DESCRIPTION: Reese walks to where a teenage girl with long, dark brown hair pets a goat.
KIM: Or they're filling their waters, the animals will come up to them, and they can pet the animal while they're doing the chores. And that's something that we actually encourage here on the farm.
[Horse neighs, goat bleats]
DESCRIPTION: In a paddock, a horse sniffs a camera. In a pen, a goat lies next to a toddler slide with a basketball net on the side.
NARRATOR: And there are plenty of animals to choose from.
[Horse neighs, goat bleats, chickens cluck]
DESCRIPTION: The goat beside the slide, a donkey eats hay beside a horse, chickens walk on the grass, and two goats walk across the outdoor pen. In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
BLAIR: We have seven horses, three donkeys, a mule. We have 60 chickens, and we have 69 goats and counting, and we have two more that are ready to kid any day now. One's actually in labour possibly today or starting tomorrow.
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, Reese pets Lucy. A black-and-white goat kid lies near hay.
NARRATOR: Reese is especially excited because one of the moms is Lucy's aunt. That means the new baby will carry on the family tradition of names starting with L.
DESCRIPTION: Reese drives a car.
REESE: An L baby, I'm so excited. I'm really hoping it's a girl.
[Background chatter]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Reese carries the black-and-white goat kid. They walk through a crowded goat pen. Outside, Reese, smiling, holds a small goat and kisses their neck.
NARRATOR: Over time, Ataraxy has grown into a peaceful sanctuary for Reese. A place that gives them the space they need to help them feel stronger, happier, and more like themselves again.
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Kim carries a bag and walks towards the barn with goats following her.
KIM: Let's go, let's go, let's go.
DESCRIPTION: In front of the barn, Reese holds the sleeping goat kid. In the barn, Reese pets the black-and-white goat kid, and Wren crouches beside them.
REESE: When I'm here I get, I tend to like forget about my phone, forget about things outside of here. It's just focusing all on the animals.
[Goats bleat, rooster crows]
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
KIM: With all our volunteers, as they grow, as we see progression, and we start giving them more responsibilities.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Reese carries an armful of hay. Reese rakes straw and, in the outdoor pen, carries more hay.
NARRATOR: And there are nonstop chores to be done. Raking out the pens, milking the goats, and making sure they have food and water.
DESCRIPTION: Reese carries a pail into the barn.
REESE: Hey, can we move so I can get this in?
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: Reese scratches a goat under their chin. Outside, Reese and the brown-haired teenage girl shovel hay over the side of a fence, out of the goat pen.
REESE: My favourite thing to do here would be spending time with the goats and just getting to clean out their stalls and stuff so that they can have a clean place to sleep. And it makes them happy. And making them happy makes me happy.
[Chickens cluck, goats bleat]
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, the goats stand in a line at a feeder and eat hay. Outside, a small goat jumps off a tire.
NARRATOR: Since starting here as a volunteer a year ago, Reese is now taking on a lot more responsibility. They're now running the day camps, mentoring youth volunteers.
DESCRIPTION: Reese walks to the brown-haired teenage girl.
REESE: Hi, I'm Reese. Nice to meet you.
DESCRIPTION: Reese shakes hands with the brown-haired teenage girl, Theresa.
THERESA: Theresa.
[Rakes scrape]
DESCRIPTION: Reese and Theresa rake hay in the outdoor pen.
REESE: So, we're just gonna start raking the pens and stuff.
NARRATOR: And helping out in the farm store.
DESCRIPTION: At the store counter, Reese types on a card reading machine, and then reaches beneath the counter.
REESE: Well, thank you. I'll get you a little baggy, 'cause you got a lot of stuff.
DESCRIPTION: In front of the store, Reese stands on a porch as two adults approach. A woman has long brown hair and wears sunglasses, a grey t-shirt, and blue jeans. A man has short brown hair and a beard. He wears a black ball cap, a plaid shirt, and blue jeans.
REESE: Hi, my name's Reese. I'm gonna take you guys on your tour today.
DESCRIPTION: In front of the barn, Reese holds the sleeping goat kid. Video footage shows Reese leading the tour to the horses. They enter the chicken coop, and then the brown-haired woman pets the black-and-white goat kid.
REESE: I started by being on a tour, and now I'm a tour guide who gets to help them find this place and connect with the animals. That makes me really happy.
BROWN-HAIRED WOMAN: They are so soft. Can I take them home?
[Brown-haired woman laughs]
REESE: Sadly, no, you cannot take them home.
[Rake scrapes]
DESCRIPTION: Reese rakes hay across the ground.
NARRATOR: As Kim and Blair continue to give Reese more responsibility on the farm, there's a big task that they think Reese is ready to take on.
DESCRIPTION: In front of the barn, Reese crouches beside Violet, a young woman who wears her long brown hair in a ponytail. Violet wears a grey “Meet your farmer” t-shirt.
REESE: This is Violet. Violet trained me when I first started coming here.
DESCRIPTION: In a wide dirt paddock, Violet holds a tan horse’s lead as she and Reese pet the horse’s sides.
NARRATOR: Reese and Violet have an important job to do with a horse named Jocko.
[Jocko snorts, neighs]
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together. In a paddock, the tan horse, Jocko, hangs his head over the gate.
KIM: So today, Reese is gonna learn how to administer medication to one of our horses. He has breathing issues, so he gets this medication daily.
[Tense music plays]
DESCRIPTION: In the wide paddock, Violet stands in front of Jocko and holds his head over her shoulder.
REESE: Violet, are you holding him in a good position?
VIOLET: Yep.
REESE: Jock, you ready?
DESCRIPTION: In an interview, Reese stands beside a paddock fence.
REESE: Violet and I are about to give Jocko his Dex, which is a little syringe of medicine. I've given the goats their medicine and stuff, but I've never done it to Jocko, because he really doesn't like it.
REESE: Are you ready, bud? I'm excited.
[Jocko snorts]
DESCRIPTION: In the wide paddock, Reese and Violet stroke Jocko’s face. In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
KIM: The animals will only allow you to do something to them if they trust you.
DESCRIPTION: In the wide paddock, Reese and Violet stand with Jocko.
REESE: All right, Jock, you ready?
[Upbeat music plays]
DESCRIPTION: Reese gives Jocko a needle at the side of his mouth. They pet his neck and smile.
REESE: There we go, baby, you did so good. It was a lot easier than I expected, of course, because I had Violet to help out. And it would've been a lot harder without her. I think it went really good.
[Jocko neighs]
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
KIM: But today Reese built that trust with Jock.
REESE: You did so good.
DESCRIPTION: In the wide paddock, Reese and Violet pet Jocko.
[Phone rings]
DESCRIPTION: In their house, Reese speaks directly into the camera.
REESE: I just got the message that Lola, one of the goats on the farm is going into labor and her baby is gonna be born soon.
DESCRIPTION: Reese leaves their house and drives the car.
NARRATOR: With the baby about to be born any second and a 45-minute drive ahead, the race is on.
REESE: We're like speeding, trying to get there.
[Train horn blares]
DESCRIPTION: Reese waits behind another vehicle as a train passes, blocking the road.
REESE: And there's a train going by; hoping Lola can hold off for a little bit longer because I really wanna be there for this.
NARRATOR: This birth means a lot to Reese. It's part of the L line. Reese is especially hoping for a girl.
[Door handle rattles]
DESCRIPTION: At the farm, Reese gets out of the car.
REESE: Okay, let's go.
DESCRIPTION: Reese enters the barn.
REESE NARRATES: So, we rushed down here as fast as we could.
REESE: Hi.
DESCRIPTION: Reese and another teenager watch Lola give birth through slats in a stall fence.
REESE NARRATES: And made it just in time to see Lola give birth to her beautiful baby boy.
PEOPLE EXCLAIM: Here we go.
DESCRIPTION: A brown and white goat kid sticks his tongue out. The kid lies on the straw by Lola, and Lola cleans his head.
REESE: Lola just gave birth to her first little baby, baby boy named Leonardo or Leo. Personally, I was hoping for a baby girl, but a boy works too. I'm happy either way, as long as the baby's healthy and breathing.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Reese leans on the stall fence and laughs. In the interview in front of the barn, Reese holds the sleeping goat kid. Video footage shows goats walking in their outdoor pen.
REESE: To me, this place is, it's my comfort space. The animals are amazing. Getting to see them living their lives and being so happy, I envy them. I wish I was a goat who just got to walk around all day and my biggest worry was when milking time was.
NARRATOR: And it looks like Leonardo will have a sibling.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Kim and another woman sit on the straw. Blair smiles and pets Lola’s face.
REESE: Lola is probably gonna have another baby any minute now.
BLAIR: That a girl.
KIM: Push, push, push, push.
[Lola bleats, upbeat music plays]
REESE: You're doing amazing. Baby girl?
KIM: It's a girl.
REESE: It's a baby girl. I'm crying.
[Reese chuckles]
DESCRIPTION: Reese wipes tears from the corner of their eye. In the stall, a goat kid stands by Lola. In the interview in front of the barn, Reese holds the sleeping white goat kid with the brown streak over their eye.
REESE: This place has taught me a lot about the good and the bad. The full cycle of life on the farm and everything that comes with being a farmer and farming.
DESCRIPTION: In the barn, Reese smiles as they watch a person scratch a newborn goat kid’s head.
NARRATOR: The positive impact Ataraxy Farm has on Reese is undeniable.
DESCRIPTION: In the living room, Patricia sits with the window behind her.
PATRICIA: It gave them a reason to get up every day on time, give them a good routine.
DESCRIPTION: In the pen, Reese kneels with a baby goat kid on their lap. Wren pets Lola.
REESE: Wren, this girl here, this is Maya.
NARRATOR: Reese has started attending school regularly again, and their grades have improved dramatically.
[Hay rustles]
DESCRIPTION: At the farm, Reese and Violet each pick up an armful of hay in the barn and carry it outside. In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together. In the barn, Reese puts hay in a feeder.
BLAIR: Reese is doing so much better in school now. One of their teachers expressed to me how much they've grown and how much the change in the attitude.
[Shovel scrapes]
DESCRIPTION: Outside in the goat pen, Reese and Theresa shovel hay over the fence.
REESE: Super big pile of it up.
DESCRIPTION: At the barn door, Reese sits beside a blonde-haired teenage girl who pets a goat.
REESE NARRATES: I'm not a very trusting person, and I started opening up because I've felt accepted here since the first time I was ever here.
BLAIR: Reese is allowed to be themselves. Everybody's equal here, and it's a team.
[Rakes scrape]
DESCRIPTION: As Reese and Theresa clean the pen, a large white goat rubs against Reese as they walk past. Reese turns and looks at the goat.
REESE: Ah, hi. Spatial awareness, please, Loki.
DESCRIPTION: In the outdoor pen, Reese and Violet each hold a goat kid.
WOMAN OFF-CAMERA SHOUTS: Let's go.
[Upbeat music continues]
DESCRIPTION: In the stall, Kim pets Leo. In front of the barn, Reese holds the goat kid.
REESE: Kim's name in my phone is Mama Bear Boss Lady because she can go Mama Bear. She protects her own, and they've protected me and supported me through a lot.
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
KIM: They're more content with themselves, which is a huge thing.
DESCRIPTION: Reese and Theresa shovel the hay in the pen.
BLAIR: And that's the farm. Like it's the power of the animal and them. Allowing them to be safe here.
KIM: Yep.
DESCRIPTION: In the outdoor pen, Reese scratches a goat kid’s head. At the barn door, they sit on a step, lean back, and kiss a brown-and-white goat. Reese and the blonde-haired teenage girl laugh and point at each other.
REESE: Any kids who are struggling, animals are an amazing escape from humans. Animals can really help people. I didn't know what I wanted to do in my future when I started volunteering here. And now I know I want to work with animals, and I wanna have my own little farm.
DESCRIPTION: In the barnyard, Kim and Blair sit together.
KIM: The sky's the limit for Reese.
DESCRIPTION: In the outdoor pen, Reese scratches under Lucy’s chin.
REESE: Aren't you my beautiful girl, Lucy.
[Title] Collar of Duty Kids.
[Tense music plays]
[Text Reads] If you or someone you know ever feels overwhelmed or needs someone to talk to, there’s help available. In Canada, you can call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868, text connect to 686868, or visit KidsHelpPhone.ca to chat online. They’re available twenty-four seven, and it’s free and confidential.
[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]
[End Credits] Directed and Produced by Laura Lillie. Featuring Aya and the farm animals, Reese and the goats. Narrator: Craig Smith. Executive Producers: Laura Lillie, Raj Panikkar, Christopher Szarka. Original Theme Music Joel Silver. Copyright 2025 Purple Panda Productions Incorporated. All rights reserved.
DESCRIPTION: The Purple Panda Productions Incorporated logo includes a photo of a child and a German Shepherd.
[Logo] S.M.I. Summerhill Media Incorporated.
[Logo] Produced in association with A.M.I.
You are now leaving TVOKids.com
TVOKids doesn't have control over the new place you're about to visit, so please make sure you get your Parent or Guardian's permission first!
Do you have permission from your Parents / Guardian to go to other websites?