Is that a llama next to Karen? Rental animals available to liven up virtual meetings
A nonprofit in North Carolina that rehabilitates horses will join your next Zoom meeting — whether it’s a corporate conference call or a teacher’s classroom — with one in tow.
They aren’t the only ones.
From miniature donkeys to llamas, animal rescue groups across the U.S. are renting screen time to help cover operation costs during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our organization is staffed totally by volunteers, but we need funds to help pay for feed and maintain the horses until we find them a forever home,” Michelle Bednar, board president at H.E.R.O., said in a news release.
H.E.R.O., which stands for Horse Education and Rescue Organization, is a nonprofit in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, that takes in abused or neglected horses and puts them up for adoption. For $60, one of those adoptable horses is available for virtual meetings.
“With more and more businesses doing online video chats, we thought this would be a fun way to educate folks about our organization and raise money at the same time,” Bednar said in the release.
About 80 miles down the road, another rescue group in Indian Trail, North Carolina, offers something similar.
Peace N Peas Farm will crash video calls with an 8-year-old miniature donkey named Mambo for all of $50, the Charlotte Observer reported.
Ducks, chickens and a horse named Eddie are also available for screen time.
“He may or may not wear a jacket, and definitely won’t be wearing pants,” the farm advertises on its website.
A California farm with an identical service has been so popular it’s booked solid until June, CNN reported.
Sweet Farm in Half Moon Bay, California, houses more than 125 rescue animals — from a trio of turkeys (Callum, Fiona and Ethel) to a llama named Paco (whose best friend is a horse named Sturgis), according to its website.
At the behest of a board member after having to rethink its revenue stream during the pandemic, Sweet Farm started the Goat 2 Meeting program on March 25, CNN reported.
For $65, a group of up to six callers will get a 20-minute virtual tour highlighting a few of the farm’s favorite animals. $100 will pay for an unlimited number of guests to get a “10 minute Corporate Meeting Cameo,” according to the website.
A 25-minute corporate meeting virtual tour will set you back $250, and — for $750 — Sweet Farm will set up an unlimited number of guests with the executive director for “a very special view of the farm.”
Public school virtual field trips, however, are free, the website states.
