Here is everything you need to know about our ‘Animal Therapy’ session. This explains everything you can expect when booking this experience. 

Our aim is to give people a unique and comfortable experience, where they can hands on with some fun animals in a meaningful way. Our animals are very used to travel and interaction with all ages, so you might discover an appreciation for a creature you never expected. 

Our animals range from familiar cute and fluffy ones to unique and exotic critters. 

Who is this best for?

This session can be versatile and suite he needs of you and your group. I have plenty of experience working with those who may be vulnerable or have special requirements, so this can be adapted to whatever structure you are looking for. For instance, breaking a two hour session into 30 minutes per group. As long as animal welfare is taken into consideration, we’re more than happy to oblige. 

While this is aimed towards SEN groups, care homes or hospitals, it is open to anyone. If you and your friends would just like a chill afternoon of animals handling, then we love that too! 

This workshop is also great for tackling a phobia, if that’s something you’re keen on doing. 

At its core:

This session involves a range of 6-8 animals going around the group one at a time. Each are introduced and facts are given about them. We always endeavour to bring the most appropriate animals for your group, if there is anything we need to be aware of, then please let us know before the session. We try to bring our most handleable animals, usually a few more fluffy ones. We cannot promise to bring a particular animal, as we are limited to what we have available, and any other factors which might prevent that animals from traveling on the day.

If the group is too noisy or uncontrolled, certain animals may not be able to make an appearance due to noise sensitivity. While we will always try to calm the room, crowd control is not at the core of our responsibilities, and we would expect those leading the group to bear some responsibility in this. 

Before we start:

We only need about 10 minutes to set up, so it won’t take too long to get started. 

We begin by introducing ourselves and talking through our guidelines. These are:

Please keep the noise down for the animals
Don’t feel forced to interact with an animals if you don’t want to
Please try to remain in your seat or not run around near the animals
Wash your hands after the session is done

We completely understand that some of these may be difficult for some people, so we ask that these individuals are given support by yourselves where needed. These rules are in place for the welfare of the animals and to maintain calm amongst the group. We’re always happy to accommodate the needs of your group. For instance, someone unable to sit still moving about the room or someone meeting the animals separate from the larger group, to better meet their needs. 

Structure of the session:

After the brief introduction, each animal will be taken out one at a time. The group is introduced to the animal and given instructions on how we interact with them. The animal is then taken around the group, spending time with each individual. 

This session works best with smaller groups, so that people get more time with each animal.

Photographs are welcome to be taken, though please be mindful of other people’s children or any other guidelines which may be in place, depending on the hosting venue. 

As we go, information is given about each animal. These facts include: Species, habitat, diet, care and more. 

If I’m there for a longer day:

Due to our licencing, our animals cannot be left unsupervised. If I am out on a longer day which requires taking a break, I would ask to be in a place where we can ideally stay with them. They can be locked away somewhere secure. Ideally, for keeping temperature control and feeding and watering them, I would prefer to stay with them. 

What happens when you book?

When you reach out to us, we will collect the details we need to know about your event. 

We will email you- A copy of the session overview (the information above), Terms of service, Safety sheet and Invoice. 

What we ask of you:

All we need from you is a table to set up our animals and a power socket. If you don’t have access to a power source, that’s ok! If we could instead have some hot water, that is fine too. This is to keep our animals at a comfortable temperature. 

We also need a space which accommodates us and the size of the group. We prefer indoors, but outdoors is fine too, weather and temperature depending. We ask that this place is secure. If this is to take place during hot weather, we ask that there is some ventilation available, as extreme heat can be dangerous for some species. 

Allergies:

Furry animals which trigger a reaction to those with a fur allergy will be present at each session, unless requested otherwise. An allergy warning is given during the animal’s introduction. 

Animals who require a calcium supplement (usually snails) are given this in the form of cuttlefish. Trace amounts of this may be carried on their body and may affect those with extremely sensitive shellfish allergies. 

Most of our animals have bedding soil or substrate made of coconut fibre or coconut husk. They may be carrying traces of this on their body.