ANIMAL FRENZY
ANNUAL FFA PETTING ZOO ADDITIONS ADD EXCITEMENT TO FFA WEEK
. The FFA petting zoo is a well-anticipated event each year. Every February during FFA week, numerous classrooms make their way down to the B Hallway to visit with the animals. However, this year was the biggest yet as they added an entire new classroom to hold even more animals for the Friday, Feb. 28 event. The farm animals are held in the welding room, while the household pets and smaller animals can be found in Mrs. Mills and Mr. Younts’ rooms. FFA club members from both HSE and Fishers spend their school day showing some of their favorite animals. In the teachers’ classrooms, pets such as baby chickens, dogs of all sizes, snakes, ferrets, bunnies and many more can be spotted. Farm animals such as horses and cows can be found outside the welding room,
Above left: Smile bright, sophomore Audrey Fitzgerald reaches down to a puppy at the FFA petting zoo, Feb 28. Above right: Leaning curiously, senior Maya Everett smiles at a cow at the FFA petting zoo, Feb 28.
6
THE ORB
while goats, pigs and llamas are just inside the door. Most of the animals are personally owned by either an FFA club member or someone else with a connection to the club. However, others such as the cow are borrowed for the day. Although he wishes to own his own, junior Sam Uliczny works with multiple cows after school as a part time job, which is where he gets Sue the cow each year. Many of these farm animals, such as the llamas, are groomed, trained and then shown at competitions each year by FFA participants. While the animals are used for competitions, that is far from their only purpose. Many of the animals’ owners have grown to love and care for them. Senior Megan Bixler has a very unique bond with her favorite pet, Nutter Butter. Nutter Butter is the light brown llama that many students had the opportunity to interact with at the petting zoo. Quite the socialite, Nutter Butter has lived on a farm in Noblesville with about 40 other llamas for 7 years now. The farm is near Guerin Catholic High School and Brown goes to visit him around once a week. The weekly visits usually consist of practice and grooming for upcoming shows. Nutter Butter is shown at both the Hamilton County Fair and the Indiana State Fair, and travels to several other shows across the country. Besides showing, llamas can
also be trained to be therapy animals, and Nutter Butter has been on several hospital and elementary school visits. “Nutter Butter definitely has a unique personality and I do see him as just a big dog,” Brown said. “He’s very curious and loveable.” Nutter Butter, along with most of the other animals, can be expected back again next year for the 2021 petting zoo. Expected to grow in popularity every year, FFA has no plans of stopping this school wide event anytime soon. Story and photos by Heidi Schlabach.
Arm around Sue, sophomore Kate Penrod sits in the pen with the cow as students make their way throughout the petting zoo, Feb. 28.
Above left: Hand outstretched, sophomore Jack Wafford pets one of the goats at FFA’s petting zoo. Above right: Arms folded, senior Alecia Forrester cradles one of the snakes at FFA’s petting zoo, Feb 28. Photos by Brooke Lederman. For more photos, visit HSENews.com.
