Westland Ranch (owned and operated by Becky West) and Ponies & Pals (owned and operated by Lisa Whaley) are two of the most sought after petting zoo companies in the North Texas area and have been collectively providing animal entertainment services for over 30 years. In an effort to further enhance our product and service models, we have formed a collaborative partnership that we believe will provide the most affordable, quality family entertainment experience for adults and children alike. It is our mission to utilize our combined resources to provide a comprehensive, interactive animal entertainment experience in a clean, healthy, and safe environment for our patrons.

Clean, Healthy Animals

Our petting zoo is licensed by the USDA. This ensures that our animals are cared for under the guidelines of the Animal Welfare Act. Regular inspections are made of our herd by our veterinarian in order to obtain the appropriate health certificates for traveling. When traveling we contact animal control, or state health officials as necessary to ensure that we are in compliance with all animal health requirements in your city/state.

Trained & Informed Staff

Each Animal Connection staff member has reviewed our risk management plan and is trained on methods of response in the event of an accident or injury to participants and or animals. Staff members are recognizable by their “staff” t-shirts and name badges. Safety warning signs are posted at the entrance and the interior of the petting zoo.

Clean, Safe Environment

There is not a cleaner petting zoo than Animal Connection! Our animals are kept clean, and are groomed regularly. Disinfectant and deodorizing sprays are used in the petting zoo and on the animals. Animal waste is removed as it occurs, and bedding is changed daily. Hand sanitizer is administered to each patron by our staff as they exit the petting zoo.

Large Variety of Animals

We provide a wide variety of miniature farm animals including: goats, sheep, pot belly pigs, rabbits, chickens, miniature cattle, miniature horses, miniature donkeys, miniature mules, llamas and alpacas. Our exotic animals include: ring tailed lemur, macaw, wallabies, patagonian cavies, and sulcata Tortoises. We are continually on the lookout for new and interesting animals to add to our petting zoo.

Presentation

Presentation is everything! Animal Connection provides well maintained and clean fencing, with two feet wide red vinyl from the ground up, along with red & white striped tent awnings. We provide lights and fans as necessary, and animal information signs throughout. All staff members are uniformed and, most importantly, at ease and pleasant when dealing with the public.

Fully Interactive Experience

The majority of our animals live together in the same environment at home. This allows us let them roam together in the petting zoo safely so that patrons may interact with them freely. Certain situations, of course, require some animals to be contained in a separate, yet accessible, enclosure. We offer the sales of feed as an option, and buckets full of brushes are staged along the fence line so that visitors may "groom" the animals.