Are Therapy Kangaroos the Next Big Thing in Colorado?

While Colorado is an absolutely fantastic place, as it would turn out, many people here struggle with mental health.

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We recently were ranked in the bottom half of the country in terms of mental health by WalletHub. 

In fact, Colorado ranked as the 15th least happy state in the country, in large part due to what they believe is a lack of community.

It’s something that many Coloradans worry about, with Axios finding that 59% of residents believe it to be an extremely or very serious problem.

Fortunately, there’s multiple different outlets people can go to if they’re experiencing a mental health crisis, including Colorado Crisis Services, who gives people support for behavioral health and substance abuse crises. Their number is 1-844-493-8255, or you can text TALK to 38255. 

However, it would appear a new form of mental health treatment has possibly entered into Colorado.

Colorado Police Department Meets a Therapy Kangaroo

If you think the concept of a ‘therapy kangaroo’ sounds too far fetched, all you need is proof from the Grand Junction Police Department to see it in action.

In an Instagram Post, GJPD showed off a therapy kangaroo they met at a Multi-Agency Collaboration. 

In the pictures, you see both GJPD Officer Long and Clinician Bollinger swaddling an absolutely adorable kangaroo in a blanket.

While this is certainly not a common therapy animal, looking at their faces tells you all you need to know about whether or not kangaroos can help cheer people up.

Are Therapy Kangaroos Becoming More Common?

While it’s absolutely a novel concept, there’s not too many examples of therapy kangaroos being used.

However, wherever they seem to be, people absolutely love them. 

One in particular that has gotten a lot of shine is one named Charlie that works at the William E. Christoffersen Salt Lake Veterans Home in Utah. 

In general, though, animal therapy is a common practice that has seen a lot of success in helping people with both physical and mental health.

While most people use animals like birds, dogs, and horses for this type of therapy, let’s hope we see more kangaroos from down under helping people smile in the future.