By Meghan Festa

Fairbanks- Some four-legged friends visited Denali Center residents recently– three baby goats (aka kids) and a a full-size goat. Cedar, Sailor, Pearl and Firebolt cozied up to residents in the Denali Center courtyard. It was a beautiful day to enjoy the sunshine and furry company.

Lara Weisensel and her children, Megan, Thomas and Julie are the proud owners of the goats. When the goats had babies this spring, the family wanted to share the joy. Baby goats are cute and fun and bringing a smile to everyone’s face. Weisensel is close friends with Denali Center volunteer, Billie Kassel. Kassel connected Weisensel with the Denali Center Activities department.

The Weisensel’s traveled over an hour from their home on the Elliot Highway to visit with Denali Center residents.  The event was so successful, the group plans to come back in two weeks for another visit.

Activities Supervisor Ruth Pomeroy explains that animals bring a lot of joy to the residents of Denali Center. There was much excitement leading up to the event as many residents chatted about the goats beforehand.

“Touching their soft fur, and feeling the warmth of holding a kid brings a rush of endorphins along with the connectedness to another being,” Pomeroy said. “Spontaneous events like this make life worth living.”