WNY Tiny Petting Zoo
SAME ANIMALS. A BIGGER PURPOSE.
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Hi, I’m Britany — the face, and usually the barn boots,
behind WNY Tiny Petting Zoo.
Long before the petting zoo, animals and agriculture were already a big part of my life. I grew up on our family hobby farm and spent about eight years involved in 4-H. I also worked at a veterinary hospital in high school, spent time working in a nursing home, babysat, worked on a horse farm, and cared for barns and animals while families were away.
Those experiences taught me responsibility, compassion, animal care, and the importance of being someone others could rely on.
At 19 years old, while I was in college, I was given a newly started business venture called WNY Tiny Petting Zoo. From there, I had to make it my own. I used my own animals, rebuilt the website, created the brand, learned how to market the business, and worked to build a name in the community.
The timing made that even more challenging. I was trying to grow a hands-on business during the COVID pandemic, when gatherings were limited and much of college life had suddenly become virtual. At the same time, I was learning how to run a business and trying to figure out what my future would look like.
As I continued through college, I kept building my experience through substitute teaching and my Grigg Lewis Internship with Cornell Cooperative Extension. Each job, classroom, farm, internship, and animal added another piece to the business and to the person I was becoming.
And yes, the barn boots are still part of the uniform.
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My love for agriculture eventually became my education and career as well.
I earned degrees in Agricultural Science, Animal Science, and Agricultural Education, continuing all the way through my Master’s in Education. I graduated with 4.0 GPAs and earned recognition for having the highest GPA in my Animal Science program.
My education has also taken me far beyond the classroom. I have worked as an agricultural educator, substitute teacher, veterinary hospital employee, farm worker, and through Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Grigg Lewis Internship.
Each of those experiences has helped shape the way I run WNY Tiny Petting Zoo today. Animal care, agriculture, education, safety, and creating meaningful experiences all play a role in every visit.
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Some of my favorite visits are with older adults.
Working in a nursing home while I was in high school gave me an appreciation for the importance of patience, conversation, and simply spending time with someone.
Years later, I get to bring those lessons into WNY Tiny Petting Zoo.
Watching someone light up while holding a rabbit, petting a goat, or telling me stories about the animals they grew up with is one of the most meaningful parts of what I do.
For me, this business has never been only about bringing cute animals to an event.
With my background in agricultural education, teaching has naturally become a part of every visit. I love giving people the chance to meet animals up close, ask questions, and learn something new.
Whether a visit is silly and exciting or quiet and meaningful, the goal is always the same:
Create a positive connection between people, animals, & agriculture.
Women-Owned & Locally Grown
WNY Tiny Petting Zoo is a woman-owned small business proudly based in Western New York.
What began as a newly started venture when I was 19 has grown into a business I have built around my own animals, experiences, education, and community.
Every event still has my hands on it — from answering inquiries and preparing the animals to loading pens, driving to events, setting up, caring for everyone throughout the visit, and packing it all back up again.
It may have grown over the years, but it is still very much a small business built one event, one animal, and one relationship at a time.
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ANIMALS FIRST
The animals come first. Their health, comfort, safety, and well-being are always part of how events are planned and operated.
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HANDS-ON LEARNING
Hands-on experiences can teach things a picture or textbook simply cannot. We want people to leave knowing a little more than they did when they arrived.
COMMUNITY
Animals have an incredible way of bringing people together. We want every visit to feel welcoming, personal, and memorable.
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MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES
Western New York has helped this little business grow from the beginning, and being able to serve schools, families, organizations, businesses, and senior communities throughout the area means a lot to us.
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To bring people and animals together through education, connection, and hands-on experiences.
