At 8 in the morning, Lollypop Farm isn’t yet open to the public, but there is a lot of activity inside. A variety of animals are fed and cared for, kennels and cages are cleaned and cozied, and students are learning to help.
The facility that holds the Humane Society of Greater Rochester is home to animals of all kinds, and home to Monroe One’s Small Animal Care and Handling class. The class is part of the Multi-Occupational/FOCUS program. As you can imagine, there’s a lot to prepare before Lollypop Farm opens every day. Our students have a responsibility to help Lollypop accomplish its daily goals of caring for the animals and getting them adopted.
Even spending a short amount of time with the AM class, you can see just how invested these students are in the animals’ wellbeing. The group cleans animal cages and food bowls. Each student is working on their communication, problem solving, and basic work skills in the process.
The room full of smaller animals when you first enter Lollypop Farm is one area that the students consider their classroom. That’s where they learn to care for the fluffy rabbits, curious guinea pigs, and speedy rats and mice around them.
“We literally get everything out from the storage unit and then take all the animals out. Like if they're the guinea pigs, you would take them out and put them on the side so we can clean the cages,” said Animal Care student Brooke. “You have to be very careful when picking them up and holding them.”
If there’s not enough time to clean everything, the second session finishes up before the public comes in. The other two sessions also wash blankets and towels, and handle donations.
Recently, some of the donations came from Monroe One’s Consumer and Family Sciences students. They made blankets for the cats at Lollypop Farm, many of which were rescued from a hoarding situation. The blankets go home with the cats when they are adopted to help them acclimate better. 13 WHAM did a story on their kind gesture.
Giving is a big part of the Small Animal Care and Handling program too. They help pets who don’t have a permanent home every single day. Some students in the second set also work with the pet food pantry to help people who have fallen on hard times feed their pets. Each student impacts the lives of the animals at Lollypop, and it goes both ways.
Their teacher, Leslye Maholick, is the first to recognize how much her students grow during the school year. “It’s truly amazing. I mean, to be able to see a kiddo who either was anxious or just really struggling in the beginning and then just gain their confidence and their independence. When I have them for a second year, I use them as leaders for the new students. And so, they're teaching the new students and gaining even more confidence.”
Families interested in learning more about this amazing program can click here. We also encourage you to check out Lollypop Farm.
