Animals Zoom Into Action On the Small Screen

Animal lovers don’t have to wait for zoos and museums to open to visit with some of their favorite furry friends. Several South Florida companies are offering virtual animal meet-and-greets, either as a private video call or as a drop-in guest on an online meeting.

Zoomies is a new program from the Broward County Humane Society’s Assisted Therapy team, who are happy to add some paws-itivity to your virtual birthday, graduation or company meeting. For a minimum donation, a therapy dog and their handler will drop in on your next video call for 10 minutes. Visit humanebroward.com/zoomies/ to schedule.

Another therapy dog group in Broward County, Canine Assisted Therapy, is also scheduling warm, furry welcomes and wagging tails. Its TeleDog program helps increase team morale, brighten people’s day and provide stress relief with a virtual meeting drop-in. TeleDog is also designed for those who are unable to receive in-person pet therapy in nursing homes and hospitals. Find out more about TeleDogs at info@catdogs.org or visit catdogs.org/TeleDog/.

For more unusual creatures, Jungle Island in Miami offers Zoo(m)eetings, Monkey Hangouts, Goat-To-Meetings and Flamingle Houseparties with Aldabra tortoises, Capuchin monkeys, goats and flamingos. For a fee, the animal of your choice can drop in for a meeting not to be missed. Call 305-900-7118 or email jhauwelaert@jungleisland.com to coordinate your animal appearance.

For a more in-depth animal experience, the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale is offering its popular Otter Encounter online, giving people an opportunity to schedule a behind-the-scenes otter visit with one of the museum’s zookeepers. Other creatures at the museum are also available for online visits. Call 954-713-0930 to schedule an animal encounter or email booking@mods.net.