A Gift Registry for Fairyland's Animals

By C.J. Hirschfield

Ever since we opened in 1950, animals have been an important part of Children’s Fairyland. Back in the day, we had alligators, monkeys, cows, pigs, peacocks, parrots, and sea lions. Now we have 18 animals, none of them carnivores: donkeys, sheep, dwarf goats, mini horses, chickens, ducks, rabbits, guinea pigs and a bearded dragon. They delight our regular guests as well as our field trip and summer camp kids. We even have a junior animal caretaker program that teaches foster kids to care for our gentle animals.

Today a special delivery arrived for the animal department: the very first items ordered from our new Amazon animal gift registry. We giddily opened the box containing one “Knotty Girlz Premium 9/16" braid polyester horse lead rope natural horsemanship w/loop” ($28.95, rainbow color) and one “Safari Soft Slicker Brush w/ Stainless Steel Pins ($7.88).”

Animal manager Melissa Tauber in her office with donated gift-registry items

The animal gift registry – similar to a wedding or new-baby gift registry – is the brainchild of Melissa Tauber, our animal manager; it lets Fairyland fans donate items specific to our animal department. I hadn’t looked at the list until today, and I was impressed with the wide range of requests. And I broke out laughing when I read Melissa’s explanations for the requests. For example, here’s what she wrote about the rainbow horse lead: “Have you seen our rainbow horse? I think she needs a rainbow lead to match!” (We often color Pixie’s mane with food coloring.)

The items in the registry range in price from a couple of dollars (“8cm Sphere Treat Guinea Pig Hamster Rat Rabbit Feed Dispenser Hanging Ball Toy”) to $800 (“Lucky Dog Kennel with Waterproof Cover”) and they range in utility from functional to aesthetic. You can learn quite a bit about animal husbandry from reading Melissa’s comments. Here’s a sampling:

“HIC Mortar and Pestle Spice Herb Grinder Pill Crusher Set, Fine-Quality Porcelain” ($10): “So useful when giving medications.”

Mortar and pestle

“Pet Grooming Glove Silicone Brush for Hair Removal, Pet Hair Mud Remover Mitt for Dogs, Cats and Horse, Bathing Deshedding Massaging Glove Brush” ($5.68): “Goats don't like brushes, but love scratches, so this is a good compromise :)” Love the happy face.

Pet grooming glove silicone brush

Here’s one that scared me at first: “Norpro Stainless Steel 14-inch Skewers, Set of 6” ($6.77). But Melissa’s note – “Great for feeding chickens” (not “Great for serving chicken”) – allayed my fears.

As interesting as Melissa’s notes are, it’s even more interesting to see what items she clearly doesn’t believe require any explanation. Like “Valhoma Chicken Harness ‘Hen Size’ - PLUS 6 FT Matching Chicken Leash, black ($15.95).” (Melissa to me: “If we had a harness, we could bring one of our chickens out for Animal of the Day on weekends.”) 

Chicken harnesses

Or “Weaver Leather Spandex Goat Tube, size small, color blue ($17.29).” (Melissa: “It’s mainly used to keep a goat clean after you bathe it.” Good to know.)

Goat tube

Many of the requests are for products that are extremely functional, such as new nestable plastic pallets for our hay deliveries. We’d love to replace our old wooden pallets; the plastic ones wear better while holding up hay for up to six weeks. I don’t know exactly what a “Slick ‘N Easy Horse Grooming Block” is, but it is clearly useful:  “The animals loved to be groomed by staff and volunteers alike. We go through our grooming equipment quickly and always need more.”

Don’t be confused by all the dog toys; Melissa uses them for enrichment activities for non-dogs. And while it may not be sexy to talk about animal health items, we nonetheless are asking for “Probios® Equine One Oral Gel 30cc ($9.28)” because “donkeys have sensitive stomachs; probiotics are always needed to help them feel better”; as well as “Chlorhexidine 2% for Horses & Dogs ($19.94)” – a “great wound cleaner” writes Melissa, with apparent enthusiasm.

Chlorhexidine solution

But this is Fairyland, after all, where the whimsical is often as important as the functional. Hence the request for “Tail Tamers SPHGLITTER-PURP Sparkle and Shine Glitter Hoof Polish for Horses, gold ($13.99).” “Wouldn't this be so pretty?!” Melissa opines.

Tail Tamers Sparkle and Shine hoof polish

If you’d like to support Fairyland’s animals and the great folks who care for them, use this link to go directly to the Amazon gift registry. Our animals – and animal staff – thank you!

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C.J. Hirschfield has served for 16 years as executive director of Children's Fairyland, where she is charged with the overall operation of the nation’s oldest storybook theme park.