New for 2025: Save 5% off your zoo price when booking a multi-year Fair contract!
About Us
A little ABOUT US...
All the friendly farm animals are our personal family pets living here on our humble homestead with us. We do not live on the road and neither do they. We consider ourselves a Destination Zoo meaning we go to each event destination then return home for the animals to frolic and play a bit before heading to the next event.
Farmer Chris still works a regular full-time job and is the self-proclaimed "ranch-hand." Kristina has often been referred to as the modern-day "Pippi Longstocking" with her desire to have every animal live in the house regardless of its species...or size! Chris is very accomodating...and patient. #moderndaypippilongstocking #dssbackyardevents
We do not operate a one-size fits-all operation as we believe the needs of every event are unique and special. Therefore, we work with each event coordinator, whether that be for a large State Fair or the Mom of a two-year-old, to put together the best assortment of animals for their respective event.
Rest assured, the assortment of house-raised, friendly animals are sure to win the hearts of your guests quite quickly. From our diaper-wearing House Chicken to our Kissing Llamasaurus, these characters are sure to be the talk of the event for months after!
Everything we offer includes an element of education from our story time with individual animal encounters all the way to our whole farm on-the-go largest scale mobile petting zoo!
We even cater to specific holiday requests such as a donkey for Palm Sunday, Cinco de Mayo, or a even a complete mini-animal Nativity Scene.
Educational Petting Zoo & Animal Hospitality
We are a completely mobile zoo-to-you educational petting zoo experience serving groups of all sizes. You have probably seen our fun animals and our uniformed staff at a Fair or Festival throughout the Northwest. You can also find our sweet animals at company picnics, open houses, grand openings, weddings, photos shoots, and just about any place you can imagine.
We have a variety of packages available to meet the needs of most events both big and small.
Each of our custom zoo packages includes easily identifiable uniformed staff members. All animals are in clean, colorful, safe animal housing/fenced areas we bring with us. We provide all waste removal products and keep an impeccably clean zoo area in addition to sanitization practices which exceed industry standards. During extremely hot weather, we often bring a misting system for both the animals and guests to benefit from.
We require our customers provide a form of shelter for the zoo throughout the event. This can be in the form of a tent, building, lean-to, or other weather proof 'roof.'
We can squeeze into small, tight spaces when necessary (side yards, front yards for small parties) and can fill a large space just as well. Our large zoo is typically around 30 x 60, 50 x 50, or larger when space allows. We will discuss the space considerations and shelter size prior to contract finalization.
We select an assortment of animals to best meet the individual demographics of your event audience, space, and budget. All of our animals are of the barnyard variety including: frogs, chicken, ducks, geese, tortoise, rabbits, goats, sheep, pigs, llamas, alpaca, cow, mini-horse, mini-donks, and ponies...
How to Book:
Provide the necessary information under the REQUEST A QUOTE tab.
Once you receive your quote, notify us that you intend to proceed, and we will send you a contract. Please note an event is not considered booked until you receive confirmation from us.
Once you receive the contract, please sign and return it to us along with the non-refundable booking fee as soon as possible to reserve your date on our calendar. Please notify us once you send the signed contract and booking fee so we can be looking for it to arrive.
Events are not considered BOOKED until DSS Backyard Events has received the signed contract AND non-refundable booking fee. Upon receipt, we will sign and return it to you with confirmation you are on our calendar.
DSS Backyard Events has the right to substitute animals, at their discretion, when necessary for the health and safety of the guests and animals.
Travel charges apply to all events starting at $2/mile from our Cocolalla farm to the event address. Additional trip charges may be added for inter-state and long-distance travel. Lodging and per-diems also apply to events requiring overnight stays.
Menu / Price List
BIRTHDAY PARTIES & SMALL GATHERINGS
Mobile Petting Zoo for groups of less than 15 people total including adults and children combined.
Small Birthday Celebration
Individually Priced
This micro zoo to you includes an assortment of our smallest animals to a cuddle party. (Typically includes an approximate six-animal seasonal variation of frogs, tortoise, chickens, bunnies, or the ocassional goat.) A selection will be chosen to best meet the needs of the audience, budget, and animals.
Small Controlled Gathering (Presentation Style)
Individually Priced
These mini zoos are perfect for those classroom style presentations or for the non-ambulatory groups who benefit more from our staff bringing the animals to the guests.
In these mobile petting zoo's, our staff bring pre-selected small animals around to each guest to pet and/or feed individually.
It would be typical to see us bring bunnies, House Chicken, chicks, baby or mini goats and sheep, along with small pigs to an event of this type.
Animal Storytime with an Animal Ambassador
Prices vary by animal & schedule
We hand select each children's story for its age appropriateness and to fit the theme for the animal who will be traveling with us. We then route and schedule our single animal mobile petting zoo!
Fairs, Festivals, & Community Events
We love the Northwest and all it has to offer. We love getting to see our Fair family throughout the summer months and feel privledged to have some events we get to call 'home' to year after year.
Town & County Festivals
Individually Priced
We love to bring our animals out for your town celebration each year. A time of celebrating the season with both new friends and old...the animals always always entertain crowds from all age groups.
We request the Event provide the "roof" for the zoo and we will bring all the fencing, gates, animals and other supplies.
Full Indoor Set-Ups also Available
Individually Priced
Our fully mobile petting zoo is also available to set up indoors as well as out. For an added charge, we can furnish our own faux flooring complete with padding and everything necessary to product your floor and our animal hooves/feet.
Ask about all the various set-up and take-down options to fit your budgetary needs.
State & County Fairs
Individually Priced
We LOVE our County & State Fair familes'! We bring our colorful fencing, educational signs, and decorated animals ready to entertain. We aren't just in the animal business...we are in the people business. We so appreciate the long-standing relationships we have developed with many of our event coordinators and look forward to adding new Fairs to that growing list.
Important Information applicable to all Mobile Petting Zoos: 1. We charge a flat rate to you, our customer, so all your guests are admitted to the zoo free of charge. 2. We bring our own fencing, and sometimes decorations, for the zoo. 3. Event Coordinator is responsible to provide the roof, commercially rented tent, or suitable shelter for the zoo. 4. We reserve the right to substitute animals as necessary. 5. Since we are not a full-time traveling road show, we have travel expenses we must pass through to you, the customer. 6. We are required to charge sales tax, where applicable, and do so unless presented with a valid tax-exempt form prior to the sales contract and deposit being submitted. 7. While we are a fun and entertaining attraction, we also provide education. 8. Events are considered “Booked” and secured on our calendar after we have received both the signed contract and booking fee. 9. We charge mileage/travel to each event starting at $2/mile from our Cocolalla
For the current latest and greatest info...
Our Facebook page, DSS: Backyard Events, is where we post photos of our cute animals with their sweet fans. Be sure to 'Like" our page for the latest updates on events and happenings too.