My Pets For Party Details
We have done hundreds of animal programs over the years. Our goal to have every party guest leave our My Pets For Parties program with pleasant memories that will long be remembered—and to make the management of the your party be as simple as possible for you. Please take the time to carefully read through this section to insure a fun and safe time for all.
How does My Pets For Parties work?
Our Party Pets program is a quiet, sit-down part of your child's birthday or theme party, designed for ages 3 years and older and a maximum of 25 party guests. Your party guests will all be seated in a large horseshoe shape and the birthday child gets to be the guest of honor as the animal assistant. We bring out one exotic animal at a time and teach your guests about the animal. We adjust the curriculum for the age of the audience, but we usually cover where the animal comes from, what they eat, interesting behaviors, how they defend themselves, etc. We then offer the birthday child the opportunity to hold the animal with our assistance, so you can get some special party pictures! Next, we walk the animal around the circle and, as long as your guests are following our safety rules, they may gently touch the animal, for safety reasons some of our animals are for viewing only. We do this with all animals that you have selected. Yes, you may customize your party by choosing your favorite animals from the list of available pets. For the average birthday party we will usually bring 6-8 animals that way if one does not want to cooperate or can't be shown we have substitutes. Sometimes a pet will be unavailable due to shedding, eating schedule, etc. We will try to let you know if that happens & will supply an alternative. If there are just too many decisions to make, simply ask for "Pet Keeper's Choice" and our staff will be happy to select the animals for you.
What The My Pets For Parties safety rules?
As you know, animal programs generate great enthusiasm, but they also generate some unique challenges regarding party management. We understand a child's natural curiosity and love of animals, but that must be balanced with the needs of the animals and the safety of the guests. Because some of our animals are exotic and not domesticated, it is critical that your guests follow some simple rules:
- they must remain seated,
- they must avoid loud or sudden noises, and
- they must follow the presenter's instructions at all times.
The party hosts are required to stay and assist with guest management and will be expected to assist in handling disruptions, so our animal handler can concentrate on the presentation and safe animal handling. We reserve the right to eliminate the touch portion or to not show the animals if the guests are disruptive or fail to follow the safety rules.
Is it safe to touch the animals?
We teach and enforce a strict set of safety rules and we maintain control of the animals at all times—so everyone is perfectly safe. No guest is forced to touch an animal, it their choice. All participants are required to use an FDA-approved hand sanitizer that we provide at the end of the program. In addition, we always recommend that the guests wash their hands with soap and water following the program.
What's the set-up for the party?
We conduct the program indoors—no mess involved. We can offer outdoor presentations under special circumstances. The presentation room must be a contained indoor space, a patio or outdoor room can also be used. Most party parents simply use their family room or living room and push back the tables and couches. Please select a climate-controlled, ground floor location (we cannot climb stairs safely with crates, but elevators are acceptable). Avoid rooms with large mirrors. Please do not decorate with helium balloons, hanging decorations or noise-makers, as they frighten some animals. For obvious reasons, children may not have food or drink in the presentation area. If there are household pets, please be sure they are secured and out of view and earshot of the presentation area.
How much space do you need?
We just need a floor space big enough for all the audience to sit in a big horseshoe shape, either on the floor or in chairs. Most parents simply push back tables and couches and clear some floor space—we bring our own roll out carpet to catch any mess. If you happen to have a neighboring room (bedroom, den, laundry room, etc.) where we can store the animals, this will greatly help in keeping them calm and quiet before show time—and keep them away from prying eyes!
What about special needs guests?
Your special needs guests are welcome to attend, provided that they too can follow the safety rules, can stay seated, and can avoid making sudden movements or sounds. We suggest that you seat your special needs guests toward the rear of the horseshoe seating, in case they need to leave the presentation area. We request that you privately inform the presenter of their seating location, so we can politely assist them if needed.
Can parents and other adults stay and watch?
Parents and other adults are welcome to stay and watch, but they too must follow the same safety rules. They should be seated; not coming-and-going or opening and closing doors that can startle the animals. Chatting adults sometimes don't realize they are disrupting the program and are making it hard for the guests to hear and for the presenter to speak over them. Please inform your adult guests that they are welcome to watch, but that chatting should be kept to a minimum. If your adult guests would like to share in conversation, please provide another area for them to visit. Our presenter will handle the children's behavior, but we respectfully ask that you handle the adult's!
What is the guest photo sitting?
As an additional service, we offer a very special photo sitting for your guests. We'll pose each guest holding one of our tame and gentle education animals—you take the pictures or if you want we will take digital pictures and mail you a disc with pictures you can distribute later to the guests. These make great take-home party favors or special additions to your thank you notes. This additional service must be ordered when you make your reservation.
How does the time scheduling work?
Be sure to book us at the time you want us to START the educational party program. We always suggest that you invite your party guests for at least 30-minutes prior to our start time to avoid the disruption of late arrivals. Please understand that we must stay on schedule, as we have other client commitments.
When will you arrive and will you need any help?
We will arrive 15-minutes before start time to set-up for the program. We would greatly appreciate a reserved parking space near the presentation space. When the animals arrive, it is exciting for everyone! We understand that the children will want to rush over to take a peek, but we ask that an adult occupy the children elsewhere while we unload and set-up, perhaps with a craft or activity away from the presentation area. After the animals are safely situated, we'll be ready to start with a smile!
What is your payment process?
We take cash or checks when we arrive for your event. Gratuities for the presenter are not required, but are gratefully accepted if you feel your presenter did an outstanding job or exceeded your expectations. We do not accept credit cards. If you want to pay in advance I have Paypal.
