Bringing the Petting Zoo to the Shoreham Intermediate Care Facility
The Shoreham Intermediate Care Facility recently hosted friendly animal visitors from Long Island Pony Parties & Petting Zoo for an afternoon of joy, laughter, and fun in the Sensory Garden on Nov. 3.
The event took place on a Sunday, when family members were able to join and enjoy a beautiful afternoon with their loved ones, making lifelong memories while learning more about animals.
With family or staff, the men and women observed the goats and babydoll sheep, in some cases, opting to feed or pet them. The animals from Long Island Pony Parties & Petting Zoo are also well trained and responsive to the people near them.
For closer encounters, Petting Zoo staff carried over bunnies and silkie chickens to the people residing at the Shoreham ICF. Also, Daffy the Donkey roamed the garden grazing leaves on the ground, stopping to say hello to everyone he came across.
Many magical moments of connection took place with friendly and gentle animals waiting to be fed or petted. For example, Josh Minessali, who resides at the Shoreham ICF, greeted each animal.
“He is somebody who does not communicate verbally,” said Danielle Bermudez, HR Generalist. “To see him so expressive around the animals, and for him to be able to get across what he wanted, which was to see each animal, was amazing. He was so gentle with each one of them. His eyes lit up when the animals came close to him.”
HR Generalist Danielle Bermudez was inspired to bring the petting zoo to Shoreham after she saw the success of the petting zoo event at Helen Kaplan Center during the spring.
“I’m a huge animal lover, and I feel like animals feed off of people’s energy,” Danielle said. “I think that’s why it’s so beneficial for the people supported to be around animals. It’s so therapeutic for them, and animals don’t judge.”
With the success of the petting zoo, staff of the Shoreham ICF are now hoping to create more experiences like this to the men and women who reside there.