Jo - Founder and CEO

Hi my name is Jo. I'm the founder and CEO of Hill Vale Animals.  I have  spent the last six years working as an animal therapist for an organisation that delivered Animal Assisted Therapy services to the NHS.  Before that I worked on a working dairy farm, that was open to the public.  I have always been an animal lover, and my "working" animals all live very happily at home with me.  

I am passionate about helping people and the effects animals can have on us. I have experience with able and disabled people, I volunteer weekly at a children’s club at a local care farm and I care for a child with additional needs. This led me to learn makaton sign language which I found to be an amazing skill and tool.

In 2023 I decided to launch my own business Hill Vale Animals, as I was excited by the benefit the patients and service users were getting from their interactions with the animals, and saw the potential to bring that benefit to a wider audience, particularly in educational settings.  My own experience of caring for a child with additional needs has given me incredible insights into the benefits interaction with animals can have.

All the skills I have learnt over the years brought together with animal assisted therapy make so many people smile and relax and bring happiness to them. The positive impact that our animals have on peoples lives is what makes my job so worthwhile.