Our History

Miss Kelly (founder of Ferrets and Friends, LLC) was working at a day program for adults with developmental disabilities when she had an idea.  After a visit from a pet therapy dog, Miss Kelly noticed that some participants were uncomfortable with the large and unfamiliar animal.  She was inspired to bring her young ferrets, Gambit and Sophie, to work with her.  The ferrets' small size and natural curiosity made them a favorite activity for many of the day program participants.  

When she moved to Maryland, Miss Kelly became involved with Pets on Wheels to help "lick loneliness" with her therapy ferret, Gambit.  She also began performing animal show with Painted You, a local children's entertainment company.  Miss Kelly knew that she wanted to start her own business; one that focuses on not just teaching about animals, but also building social skills and sharing the joy of interacting with animals.  

Miss Lina finished her Bachelor's degree in Social Work and shared similar values.  In early 2016, they registered as an Limited Liability Company in Maryland.  Later that year, they hired their first employees.  Ferrets and Friends is actively growing and expanding their business.  Our staff is more than happy to bring the zoo to you!

The Animal Educators

Our animal educators have a variety of backgrounds and experience.  They each bring something unique with their love of animals!

Miss Kelly

Role: Founder and Owner, Director of Accounting & Human Resources, Animal Educator
Native to: North Eastern United States
Favorite Activities: Dancing, Rock Climbing, and anything dinosaur-related.
History: Miss Kelly will be graduating with a Masters in Social Work in 2017.  She has worked in a pet store, a natural history museum, and a variety of social work related jobs that include working with adults with developmental disabilities and crisis response.  She hopes to be able to provide animal assisted therapy in the near future.

Miss Lina

Role: Owner, Director of Marketing & Outreach, Animal Educator
Native to: Midwestern United States
Favorite Activities: Reading, theatre, and cycling.
History: Miss Lina is a Certified Family Life Educator with a background in justice and policy. She cares deeply about her involvement with wildlife rescues, and hopes to become a Master Rehabilitator one day. Her favorite animals to work with are the snakes, the bugs, and the birds!

Bethanie

Role: Event Coordinator & Animal Educator
Native to: East Coast of the United States
Favorite Activities: Learning new things, teaching her pets tricks, playing video games
History: Bethanie moved to the east coast when she was 12 years old.  She has always had a passion for animals.  She has a background in positive reinforcement training and she strives to better the lives of animals around her.  Her rescue bunny, Clara, has been a new favorite in animal shows!

Dre

Role: Animal Educator
Native to: East Coast of the United States
Favorite Activities: Snowboarding, concerts, and exploring nature. His favorite animals to work with are the reptiles!
History: Dre has been working with animals for 5 years in a pet store setting. He plans to go to school for art and photography.

Amelia

Ali

Role: Animal Educator
Native to: East Coast of the United States
Favorite Activities: Hiking, arts and crafts and family time. 
History: Amelia has been working in the animal field for over 10 years. Over the past 5 years she has worked in the veterinary field working with all sorts of pets including exotics.  Over the next few years she plans on working on becoming a registered veterinary technician. 

Role: Animal Educator
Native to: New England
Favorite Activities: reading, cross stitching and crafting, traveling to see friends and family
History: Ali has always loved animals and currently works as a veterinary technician, where she gets to work with many different animal species. She currently has two cats and a rescue turtle, and hopes to rescue more animals once she buys a house.

Director of Operations

Peach

​Role: CEO (Cat Executive Officer)
Native to: The Kelly Zoo
Favorite Activities: Cat-egorizing office supplies, consulting expert ferrets, advocating for shorter sleep cycles
History: Peach had some concerns when she started managing the human team, but she feels she has found a balance between keeping her humans challenged and motivated.