5/18/12

Guest Post: Animal Shelter Children's Farm


Thanks to Sharon for the info on the Prince William County Animal Shelter Children's Farm!

My kids are crazy about animals.  We are always looking for something to do that involves our four-legged friends.  Today we ventured out to the Prince William County Animal Shelter Children’s Farm.  If you are interested in taking your wee ones to this free exhibit, here are a few things you should know before you go.

First of all, it’s free.  Pretty cool, right?  The only requisite is that you call beforehand to make sure there is someone available to let you in.  Even though the website says they are only open on Thursdays, they will accommodate visitors provided they are adequately staffed.  The staff also recommends that you use discretion if it is raining.  This is a real barnyard with real dirt and your children can get really dirty if it is wet.  Heads up.

We arrived to the Animal Shelter parking lot and walked through the main entrance into the shelter building.  We asked at the main desk if we could be escorted back to the Children’s Farm and we were soon paired with a kind, young employee who walked us to the back and unlocked the gates.  As soon as the gates were unlocked, the fun began.  Two very friendly, very zealous potbelly pigs greeted us immediately: one named Chunk and the other Tootsie. We took a chance and brought a big bag of carrots in case they would let us feed the animals, and as it turns out, visitors are welcome to feed carrots and apples.  And, WOW, were we popular!  My children were able to feed carrots to the pigs, the white pony, all of the goats and the cow in the yard.  The animals were clean and well-groomed.  They appeared happy and well taken care of.

Our visit concluded when all of the carrots were eaten (a few may have been consumed by the humans in our group…) and the children had laughed themselves silly at all of the animal antics in the barnyard.  We stayed for about 20 minutes.

Bottom Line: Call ahead, dress for mud, bring treats, and have fun.

Address and Phone Number:
14807 Bristow Road
Manassas, VA 20112
Phone: 703-792-6465

Hours of Operation:
Tuesday: 11:00am-5:00pm
Wednesday: 11:00am-5:00pm
Thursday: 11:00am-5:00pm
Friday: 11:00am-5:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am-4:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm-4:00pm
Monday: Closed
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Sharon Kieffer Steele is a homeschooling mother of 5 who resides in Prince William County.  She is a freelance writer who occasionally blogs atsharonksteele.blogspot.com
  

2 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for this! I had no idea it was there, and we will definitely stop by for a visit.

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  2. The children's farm at PWC animal shelter has been discontinued

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