Spend A Day Relaxing With Animals At This Rescue Ranch In Nebraska

If you've ever sat with an animal and felt the stress melting away, you know how therapeutic it can be to snuggle a furry friend. The folks behind this rescue ranch know that animals have the power to help and heal, and they provide the opportunity for everyone to experience it.

Scatter Joy Acres is an inner-city animal rescue ranch in Omaha. Its mission is to help both animals and people and to connect the two so they may help each other.

The ranch provides opportunities for animal-assisted therapy, a therapy approach that uses the healing power of animals. As people with special needs interact with the animals, they often become calmer and more likely to open up.

Scatter Joy Acres also works with abused and at-risk kids. They believe that playing with the animals and spending time in the fresh air can help heal past hurts and teach empathy and responsibility.

Most of the animals on the ranch are rescues that have been abused, neglected, and/or abandoned at some point. Those that are not adopted out to new homes stay here to live out their lives at Scatter Joy Acres, providing and receiving comfort and love.

You can expect to see some familiar farm and ranch animals here, including pigs, cows, chickens, horses, goats, and donkeys.

And don't forget puppies!

But there are also some more exotic residents, including camels (who you may see out walking every Wednesday on the "hump day" walkabout)...

...a cuddly wallaby named Willis...

...a gentle tortoise...

...and even an ostrich! Not all of the animals are here permanently, but they all provide a unique experience while at the ranch.

You don't have to be in need of animal therapy to visit the ranch. Scatter Joy Acres welcomes visitors to its public petting zoo hours on the weekends. Volunteers are also greatly appreciated!

For true animal lovers, the ranch can host your next school outing, party, team-building event, or other recreational outing.

The ranch even hosts frequent special events, like this goat yoga session. How fun!

You can get more information about Scatter Joy Acres, including how to book your own animal-assisted therapy session, party, or other events, on its website. Keep up with news (and see the latest cute animal pictures!) on the ranch's Facebook page.