Photo by Jen Osbourne.Every few months, Marisco and N.H Flight of the Eagle – showered, dressed up and accompanied by Niki Kuklenski – are welcome guests as they take a tour of the nursing home, stopping at each bed to kiss the patients or have a hug. Marisco and N.H are trained therapists, and they are llamas.
“It’s a treat, watching the llamas walk down the hallway,” says Jack Houston, one of the residents. “It’s amazing that there’s another life out there.” For some, it’s the most cuddling they receive in their time at the center; for others, it’s a welcome novelty, relieving the boredom of life in an institution. The llamas leave a profound impression. “I had never met one before,” remembers Holly Barto. “It was heaven. Just emotionally – to be able to touch an animal and hold an animal close.
