Client Sam Walsh with a baby rabbit.
Ricky Bugeja makes friends with baby animals.
ABOUT 30 clients of Peckys Disability Services got a pleasant surprise when they went to their centre at Prospect Reservoir ground recently.
They were welcomed by baby animals from Kindifarm.
The first to arrive was Brody Staferton who loves animals but rarely has the opportunity to see them.
“The baby lamb is so soft and he really liked me,” Brody said while patting one of the lambs.
Ricky Bugeja, a wheelchair-bound client in his 40s, first showed reluctance before approaching the animals but later sat smiling while a baby chick fell asleep on his arm.
A spokeswoman from Dural’s Kindifarm said the visit aimed to encourage the clients to be involved in feeding and handling the animals.
“Each new animal brought excitement to the clients’ faces and there seemed to be an animal to suit everyone,” she said.
Ivana Dragicevic, a support worker at Peckys, said the clients were eager to feed the baby goats by hand.
‘‘ There were a few who were quite shy and preferred to watch from a distance, but these clients had the chance to pat the rabbits or hold the chicks, which they enjoyed immensely.
‘‘The visit was a great success with clients who had never been exposed to animals before enjoying the excitement of interacting with baby goats, lambs, sheep, calves, chickens, rabbits and ducks.’’
Peckys was established in 1981 in Blacktown to offer services that enrich the lives of people living with disabilities.