Willie Wonka is a miniature horse with heart. He visits the aging and enjoys the compasy just as much as they do.
Rocky Raetz, 21, takes his miniature horse Willie Wonka for a swim in the family's backyard pool at their Golden Gate Estates home. The mini horse weighs about 175 pounds and stands about three feet high. He is full grown.
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Sylvia Raetz, center, and her son Rocky Raetz stand in the center of about 30 people during a visit to Arden Courts, an assisted living home in Naples, with their mini-horse Willie Wonka. The Raetzes have nine regular-sized horses, five dogs and a turtle at their Golden Gate Estates home. The family adopted Willie Wonka in order to share with others the experience of being around horses. Lexey Swall-Bobay/Staff
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Beatrice Walton, 95, pets Willie Wonka, a 5-year-old mini-horse, during a visit to the community room at Arden Courts, an assisted living home in Naples. "We got Willie so that we could share the feeling that just petting a horse gives to people. ... We both love the looks on the faces of people when we bring Willie in the room," says Sylvia Raetz, who owns Willie Wonka. Lexey Swall-Bobay/Staff
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The hand of a resident of Arden Courts, an assisted living home in Naples, is placed on the face of Willie Wonka, a mini-horse that visited the home in mid-August. Lexey Swall-Bobay/Staff
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Pat Wright helps her husband John, center, to greet Willie Wonka as Loraine Schwei, left, watches Rocky Raetz, right, the horses owner, guides them. "I know that sometimes just a visit or a touch makes a world of difference," says Sylvia Raetz. "Our goal is to someday have more mini horses, a regular schedule and volunteers to take them to nursing homes or any special needs group." Lexey Swall-Bobay/Staff
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