Too Hot To Trot – How Mary's Fun Farm Is Keeping Animals Cool

This week has been a scorcher with temperatures in the 90s, but humans are not the only ones facing the heat. Animals of all kinds are having a tough time outside in this weather.
For local petting zoo owner Mary Shaw, providing animals with plenty of water has been the most important job this summer.
Mary’s Fun Farm is well known in the community for providing entertainment for children at birthday parties, Easter egg hunts, fall festivals and Willie Price’s labs. Her small but friendly group of animals provide pony rides and petting fun for kids of all ages. 
“I have 15 miniature horses, one miniature cow, one large horse, two goats and two sheep,” Shaw said. “I also have a few hedge hogs and ginny pigs, a lot of rabbits, one turtle, three pigs, some chickens and two dogs.”

An assistant teacher at Willie Price Lab School, Shaw’s love of animals and children have made running a zoo her dream job. Though Shaw loves the work, the heat makes her job difficult for her and the animals. 
“It is important for them to drink lots of water,” Shaw said. “Animals don’t have a lot of ways to cool off. This weather is miserable for all of them, except the turtle.”
Shaw spends each morning and afternoon filling her animal’s troughs with plenty of water and food. Electronic fans are used in the barn to keep the goats and sheep cool. The horses, donkeys, and the cow that remain outside can find shelter from the sun in the shade next to a pond.
For the pigs, however, a lack of water can be extremely dangerous. Pigs do not have sweat glands and need to cool off constantly to prevent overheating. To keep her pigs happy and healthy, Shaw fills up a kiddy pool for them to wallow in each morning. 

Though it is a hot job, all of Shaw’s hard work is worth it when she gets to see the kids having fun with her animals. Among her favorite events, Shaw’s animals participate in the Willie Price Round-up, a little rodeo for the school’s students, that is held in November. 
“It gives kids a chance to meet animals,” Shaw said. “I love getting to see their eyes light up when they see a pony for the first time.”
For local pet owners with pets outside this summer, authorities advise keeping lots of water available. 

“If you have inside pets, leave them inside under the air conditioner,” new representatives at the Oxford Lafayette Humane Society said. “If they are not inside pets, we advise putting them in a cool room, like a laundry room, during the hottest part of the day to cool off. If your animal is overheating, call a vet because they can definitely get heat strokes.”