A real story, real animals, and a real reason to believe that learning through nature changes lives.
Ciera O'Rourke founded Pets on the Green in 2025, aged 19, after a childhood that showed her first-hand how much animals can do for young people who struggle with the world around them.
Diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and ARFID in Year 9, school became almost unmanageable after the pandemic. She received an EHCP and eventually found her way into NESCOT College's specialist 14–16 provision — where she discovered that being around animals was the only thing that truly helped her regulate, focus, and feel safe.
What started with a growing collection of pets during lockdown became three years of animal management education, graduating with distinction, and building the expertise to turn that personal experience into professional practice. In July 2025, Pets on the Green opened its doors.
Autism, ADHD, ARFID, severe anxiety — Ciera shapes every session from the inside out, not from a textbook.
Hedgehogs, chameleons, sugar gliders, bearded dragons, royal pythons, tortoises and more — all professionally cared for.
Works directly with SEND teams, schools, and Local Authorities on EHC plans, tribunal evidence, and Section F outcomes.
Sessions on-site in Warlingham or delivered at schools, care homes, hospitals, and community venues across Surrey.
Pets on the Green cares for 60+ named animals across 25+ species, all licensed under the Animal Activities Licence (AAL 014153). Every animal used in sessions is professionally cared for and handled by trained, DBS-checked staff.
Ciera holds professional qualifications across animal management, animal-assisted therapy, SEND education, and safeguarding.
Every member of the Pets on the Green team is DBS checked and registered with the DBS Update Service for real-time verification.
Level 3 Animal Management (NESCOT). BSY Level 3 Animal Assisted Therapy Practitioner. Safeguarding Children Level 3. EHCP specialist.
🔒 Enhanced DBS — barred list checkedAll handlers hold current DBS certificates and are registered with the DBS Update Service for real-time verification. Some hold Enhanced DBS; those with Basic DBS always work alongside an Enhanced-checked member of the team.
🔒 Enhanced & Basic DBS — always supervisedPets on the Green Ltd is committed to safeguarding the welfare of all children and vulnerable adults who engage with our services. We follow statutory guidance including Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and have a Safeguarding Policy held in our compliance file.
All staff and volunteers who work with children and vulnerable adults hold current DBS certificates and are registered with the DBS Update Service, enabling real-time verification at any time.
Any safeguarding concern arising during a session is reported immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead and, where appropriate, to the relevant Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) or statutory services.
To request a copy of our Safeguarding Policy, DBS confirmation, insurance certificate, or Animal Activities Licence, please contact the Director using the details below. We respond to school and Local Authority requests as quickly as possible.
Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI) uses purposeful, facilitated interaction with animals to support emotional regulation, learning readiness, confidence, and social development. Sessions are experiential rather than talk-based — the animal acts as a calming, motivating presence that lowers a child's anxiety threshold and opens the door to engagement.
For children with autism, ADHD, SEMH, or EHCPs, this approach can support Section F outcomes directly: improving communication, reducing avoidance, building tolerance to new environments, and developing attention span in a genuinely engaging way.
Pets on the Green specialises in low-arousal, no-pressure sessions that progress entirely at the participant's pace. There are no timers, no wrong answers, and no pressure to perform.
Whether you're a parent, SENCO, Local Authority, or care home looking to book a session, we'd love to hear from you.