When you think of therapy, you probably imagine lying on a couch in a quiet room. But there are those who swear by the benefits of Bovine therapy, cuddling up with adorable miniature highland cows. But rival breeding groups are locked in a debate about the ethics of deliberately producing the smaller-than-normal animals.
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00:0014-year-old Montana Chevak has been visiting this farm on the outskirts of Melbourne for
00:07three years now. It's a peaceful experience for the teenager who's been diagnosed with
00:12ADHD, anxiety and autism.
00:15As I'm like patting a cow, I can also talk about my problems because I kind of forget
00:20like a, like I forget about the problems and it's not as hard to like speak.
00:25These miniature highland cattle live on a property at Panton Hill near Melbourne. It's
00:29owned by psychologist Leanne Winter who describes it as a therapy farm.
00:34The wait list is fairly long so people once they start coming don't usually want to leave.
00:39But not everyone is a fan of the smaller than normal animals. Vet Rosemary Elliott says
00:44breeding miniature animals prioritises looks over quality of life.
00:49The problem with that is you can get lots of other genetic problems and health issues
00:53that come with it. So I guess what comes to mind for me is, uh oh, here we go another
00:59phase of cuteness.
01:02Many miniature cattle carry a gene linked to a growth disorder called chondrodysplasia
01:06which can cause dwarfism. When a sire and dam both carrying the gene produce offspring,
01:12there's a 25% chance the calf will be stillborn. From late August the Australian Highland
01:18Cattle Society will refuse to register any animals found with the gene.
01:22We don't want genetic defects changing the breed.
01:26The rival Pole Highland Society has no problem with formally recognising the minis and says
01:31it has measures in place to ensure two cows carrying the gene are not mated.
01:36People want them, they want them as pets, they have them as comfort animals and they
01:41love them simply because they're cute and fluffy. Well why wouldn't you?
01:45But a cute cow comes at a cost. A single miniature highland cow can carry a cost of more than
01:51$3,000, leaving the gate open for online scammers and making it important for potential
01:56buyers to contact recognised breeders or associations.
02:01Victorian breeder Leanne Stone says there's a common sense approach to producing healthy
02:05calves.
02:06If you've got something that's short and deep bodied, you put it with something that's got
02:11the longer legs and the shorter body.