Who we are
Mark Schuring co-founded Healing Hearts with Hooves and Hounds (HHHH) in 2004 with his aunt, Traci Schuring, who shared his resolve to help victims of domestic abuse and bullying through the healing power of animals. Sadly, on December
8, 2012, Traci was killed by her abusive husband in their home in Southern Wisconsin, while her daughters were waiting to be picked up from school. In this dramatic fashion, Mark understood why the program was so important to her and has pursued the mission
with a fervor ever since.
Healing Hearts with Hooves and Hounds, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to helping survivors of domestic abuse and bullying find healing and peace in their lives through animal therapy. Domestic violence is a serious
issue; one in four women is abused, and one in three people know someone who is abused. Meanwhile, animal therapy has been shown to promote emotional well-being in patients struggling with things such as post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. HHHH’s
ultimate goal is to set up an animal retreat for victims of abuse so they can experience the healing power of animals and, once again, begin believing in themselves.
HHHH is comprised of 30 volunteers, 3 horses, 9 mini-horses, 5 mini-goats, 5 mini-donkeys, and roughly 15 hounds. Currently, HHHH’s animals are spread across two locations: a small pasture located on 17 acres of farmland in Capron,
IL, and an acre and a half of farmland in Lawrence, IL. The primary goal of this campaign is to aggregate all of the HHHH animals onto one location, which is a 10-20 acre plot of farmland located in Harvard, IL. Over the past 10 years, the HHHH animals have
already positively impacted the lives of hundreds of domestic violence and bullying victims.
Leadership
As mentioned above, Mark Schuring co-founded Healing Hearts with Hooves and Hounds in 2004 with his aunt, Traci Schuring. In her life, Traci experienced some hard times and knew people who could use this type of retreat. Together,
Mark and Traci recognized an opportunity to help and began inviting friends to spend time with their horses and hounds and would watch as these special animals helped their friends find peace. Mark and Traci grew more excited about their cause and formalized
the effort by naming their group, Healing Hearts with Hooves and Hounds. Mark continues to pursue the HHHH mission in loving memory of his aunt, Traci. Professionally, Mark has 20 years of mentoring experience working with special needs children at the Crossroads
Counseling Group, located in Lake Villa, Illinois.
Why you should care
From:
http://domesticviolencestatistics.org/domestice-violence-statistics
Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women–more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.
Around the world, at least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Most often, the abuser is a member of her own family.
Studies suggest that up to 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually.
Men who as children witnessed their parents’ domestic violence were twice as likely to abuse their wives compared to sons of nonviolent parents.
Brief Modern History of Pet Therapy
In the late 1800’s, Florence Nightingale (the founder of modern nursing) wrote “a small pet animal” was an “excellent companion for the sick.”
In the 1960s, an American child psychiatrist named Boris Levinson, discovered that communication with a nonverbal child improved when his dog was present during sessions. The animal provided the child with a non-threatening focal
point and allowed the therapist to interact with him though the dog.
In the 1980s, a former guide dog was introduced to patients at a nursing home, the patients were observed and an improvement in happiness, optimism, self-reliance, and motivation were noted.
Today, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has a program called “Doggy Daze,” which brings in registered therapy dogs to visit the patients. Studies have proven that animal therapy relieves stress, may reduce blood pressure, and
may enable heart attack patients to live longer.
Today, the Mayo Clinic uses pet therapy in treatments for cancer, chronic heart failure, and post-traumatic stress disorder. More than a dozen dogs are part of the Mayo Clinic’s “Caring Canines” program.
With the money we raise, we will do the following:
Buy 2160 bales of hay to feed the HHHH animals
Buy 260 50lb bags of grain to feed the HHHH animals
Lease 10-20 acres of farmland to house the HHHH animals
Help can come in many sizes:
$5 buys a bale of hay
$10 buys a 50lb bag of grain
$25 buys 5 bales of hay
$50 buys 5 50lb bags of grain
$100 buys 20 bales of hay
$200 buys 20 50lb bags of grain
$500 buys 100 bales of hay or 50 50lb bags of grain
$1,000 buys a 1 month lease for 10-20 acres worth of farmland
Check us out!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Healing-Hearts-with-Hooves-and-Hounds/159099690827888
