Jaime Arnett becomes executive director of Animals as Natural Therapy

Blaine native Jaime Arnett decided to focus on helping others with their own mental health after her husband died by suicide. This eventually led to her new position as Animals as Natural Therapy (ANT) executive director.

The north Bellingham farm has animals with which visitors develop healthy relationships to help alleviate behavioral and mental health issues. ANT, a nonprofit, offers programs for youth, veterans, families and elderly.

Arnett, who already had experience working with nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity, began as an ANT contract grant writer in 2015. Before long, she found herself getting more involved in natural therapy. During this time, Arnett was also getting experience outside of ANT – including serving as a Blaine City Council member and working as an administrative executive for Boundary Fish Company.

“I was really interested in animals as therapeutic modality,” Arnett said.

When ANT program founder Sonja Wingard began talking about retiring in 2019, Arnett thought she was a good replacement because she cared deeply about the nonprofit, she said.

Arnett took on the position of operations and development director in 2019, before ultimately taking the role as executive director in 2020.

Arnett said she’s been challenged trying to explain to people why animals work as therapy.

“You can’t just throw people in a barnyard and miraculous things happen,” she said with a laugh. “It’s cool to inform people about how petting fur is proven to release dopamine and serotonin while inhibiting cortisol. Our heart rates can actually sync up with the animal we are petting.”

Being in such a relaxed state is conducive to healing, she said.

“A lot of beautiful things happen at the farm,” she said.

A majority of the program focuses on working with horses because bonding with a horse requires effort from both the person and horse, Arnett said. The horse can know someone better than another human, and can teach people healthy boundaries, self-respect and communication, she said.

“They’re naturally a little bit skittish, which makes them more in tune to the environment,” said Arnett, explaining this causes them to pick up on physical communication with people. “When you get a 1000-pound animal to agree with you, that gives you a lot of confidence.”

Along with Arnett becoming executive director, ANT also recently moved its farm to Kline Road in north Bellingham in April. The 10-acre farm created more space for the horses and allowed the nonprofit to add goats, chickens and rabbits to its farm.

For more information, visit animalsasnaturaltherapy.org.