Meet The Animal Heroes Of The Coronavirus Pandemic

Winter, a 4-year-old brown llama who lives in Belgium, has antibodies that neutralized coronavirus infection, as discovered by scientists who now hope that llama antibodies can be injected into humans who have yet to be infected as a preventative vaccine. 

Peanut the pony—with a gorgeous braided mane—and her owner, 11-year-old Jorja Bolla, have been popping by nursing home windows in their hometown of Beatrice, Nebraska, to bring joy to isolated residents, and this photo of 92-year-old Elfriede Claassen’s grin shows their success.

Hero, a very aptly named horse, and his equine colleagues at Horses of Hope have similarly been making rounds to seniors in Evansville, Indiana. 

“A horse was just right at the window. And it brought back memories. My family had a pony and a horse. It was just a wonderful feeling,” said Teresa Davies, a senior visited by Horses Of Hope, to the Courier Press.

Jackson the therapy golden retriever, who recently won the American Kennel Club’s prestigious Paw of Courage award after completing more than 1,400 school and nursing home visits, has taken his healings powers online: appearing in “Joke of the Day” videos for his senior and student fans and in a children’s book distributed electronically to families. 

In Jacksonville, Florida, Star the service dog accompanies her paramedic owner on ambulance calls decked out in her own, very cute and official, PPE mask, goggles and vest.