Liberal Snowflakes Find New Animal to Hug For Their Emotional Support Therapy

Everyone is stressed out right now. If that includes you, you’ve probably tried all the typical ways to chill out – exercise, meditation, eating, drinking, getting off (with a partner or by yourself) – with mixed results. But we bet you haven’t tried to hug a cow.

No, we’re not just being ridiculous. Embracing animals for better mental health isn’t a new concept, but choosing a bovine as your emotional support animal might be. If you’re desperate enough to try a unique technique of chilling out, there’s a place in California called The Gentle Barn that can help you out.

The Gentle Barn was founded in 1999 and offers animal therapy. It claims getting cozy with a cow can lower blood pressure, improve cardiovascular health, release endorphins, alleviate pain, reduce stress, and increase calm.

Ellie Laks is the organization’s founder. She combined her college majors of special education and psychology with her love for animals when conceiving of The Gentle Barn, which started on a half-acre property in the middle of the San Fernando Valley.

In 2003, Laks and co-founder Jay Weiner moved The Gentle Barn to Santa Clarita. The 6-acre spread features sprawling horse and cow pastures, a red and white barnyard for smaller animals, an organic vegetable garden, and beautiful mountain views. The site now hosts more than 170 rescued animals as well as the over 500,000 guests that have come to visit them – including celebrities.

And the venture keeps growing. The Gentle Barn has since opened a second location in Nashville, Tennessee, and a third in St Louis, Missouri. The co-founders’ goal is to bring Gentle Barns to every state in the U.S.

As admirable as The Gentle Barn’s efforts are, it’s also the kind of warm-fuzzy concept that conservative “news” outlets like Fox News would like to rip liberal snowflakes for. Bully the cow huggers all you want, we suppose; they’ll just head out to the barn and embrace another bovine until the hurt fades.

Cover Photo: Amy Graves / Contributor (Getty Images)

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