Puppies, Kittens, Bunnies & Goats
Yoga Kawa is committed to delivering responsible and respectful animal-assisted wellness experiences.
We celebrate every living being and believe every living being deserves care, respect, and compassion, and that humans are stewards of the animals and living beings who share our planet. This philosophy guides how we design and operate all of our programs.
Our events are structured to align with municipal requirements, animal welfare standards, and responsible pet-care practices, with procedures in place to ensure a safe, calm, and respectful environment for both animals and participants. These include:
These practices help ensure a positive experience for both the animals and the people involved.
Reputable, Responsible & Ethical Practice
Our puppy and kitten partners follow responsible breeding and placement practices, including:
We do not work with backyard breeders, brokers, or unknown private sellers. Our partners maintain high standards of care for their animals and remain responsible for the puppies’ well-being.
Our bunnies and mini goats come from small private hobby farms where animals are raised with attentive care.
The puppies remain the legal property of the breeder, carrying the animal’s relevant vaccination and health records. The breeder (or a designated handler from the breeder’s team) is almost always present on-site during the event to supervise and care for the animals throughout the session. This is on top of our paid staff (not volunteers) that are also trained to handle animals calmly and properly with knowledge of cross contamination to clean up properly after animal accidents.
Animals participating in our sessions are developmentally ready for supervised interaction and are carefully selected to ensure they are healthy, well-socialized, and comfortable around people.
Puppies and kittens participating in our sessions are typically approximately 8–16 weeks (2–4 months) old. At this stage, they are naturally curious and benefit from gentle, positive socialization. They have received age-appropriate veterinary care and their first core vaccinations (DHPP for puppies and FVRCP for kittens) as recommended by their veterinarian.
Mini goats participating in sessions are generally 6 weeks or older, when they are physically stronger, coordinated, and comfortable exploring their surroundings. At this stage they are naturally playful and enjoy climbing and interacting in calm environments.
Our bunnies are typically juvenile or adult rabbits, and are carefully selected for their calm temperament. They are highly socialized and accustomed to gentle, quiet interaction with people in supervised settings.
All animals are monitored closely throughout the sessions to ensure they remain comfortable, safe, and well-rested.
The puppies and kittens who visit our sessions are young animals from responsible breeders. As they grow older, they are placed into carefully screened permanent homes with loving families, or in some cases the breeder may choose to keep them as part of their own family or breeding program. The sessions provide a short period of supervised socialization, which can be a helpful part of a young animal’s early development.
Our mini goats and bunnies are long-term pets from small private hobby farms, and they are the same familiar animals that visit our sessions over time. They are well cared for, highly socialized, and accustomed to calm, gentle interaction with people. Outside of occasional visits, they live their normal lives on the farm where they have space, enrichment, and daily care.
These sessions are not intended as animal entertainment, but rather as animal-assisted wellness experiences designed to foster calm, connection, and respect for living beings. The animals participate in short, carefully supervised visits and are always free to rest or disengage if they choose.
Interaction with the animals is guided and supervised. Participants are encouraged to remain mostly seated or on their yoga mats while the animals roam freely and choose whether to interact.
At the beginning of each session, our instructors provide guidance on how to interact safely and respectfully with the animals, including gentle petting, allowing animals to approach voluntarily, and avoiding excessive handling.
Rabbits may only be picked up by trained staff, the breeder, or designated animal handlers to ensure their safety and comfort.
If any animal appears tired, overstimulated, or stressed, it is gently returned to a designated rest area or playpen where it can relax until comfortable. Animals are always free to disengage and move away from interaction at any time.
Occasionally, if a small accident occurs and the area needs to be cleaned, an animal may be briefly held or comforted by staff while the space is sanitized.
This approach helps ensure the comfort and wellbeing of the animals while maintaining a calm and respectful environment.
All animals have access to designated quiet rest areas, such as playpens, pens, or crate spaces, where they can retreat between sessions.
Rest periods typically range between 45 minutes to 1 hour, and animals may also be rotated as needed by breeders or handlers to ensure they are not overstimulated.
If any animal shows signs of fatigue, stress, or overstimulation, it is immediately removed from the interaction area and returned to the rest space.
These rest periods allow animals to relax, hydrate, eat, and nurse if needed, ensuring their comfort and wellbeing throughout the event.
Cleanliness and biosecurity are essential for both animal and participant safety.
Yoga Kawa uses veterinary-grade disinfectants designed to eliminate common pathogens, including parvovirus and other germs that can affect animals. The space, mats, and equipment are cleaned and disinfected before and after every session.
Our procedures include:
These measures help maintain a clean, safe, and biosecure environment for both animals and participants.
Animals are supervised at all times by:
This supervision helps ensure the safety and wellbeing of both the animals and participants throughout the session.
Minors must attend with a responsible adult, who helps model and reinforce gentle handling and respectful interaction in accordance with our instructions.
Our events include several measures designed to protect both animals and participants.
If any incident such as a scratch or bite that breaks the skin occurs, the situation is addressed immediately. The names of those involved and details of the incident are documented, first aid guidance is provided, and the individual is advised to seek medical care if needed. Where required, incidents that break the skin may be reported to the local public health unit in accordance with Ontario public health guidelines.
Participants are expected to follow all staff instructions and respect animal boundaries to help maintain a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved.
We are committed to operating these sessions responsibly and in alignment with animal welfare standards while providing a positive and safe community experience.
While puppy, kitten, bunny, and goat yoga bring joy to participants, Yoga Kawa also strives to create meaningful community impact.
We have had the privilege of collaborating with organizations such as Autism Ontario, CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind), and the Children’s Treatment Network (CTN) of Simcoe-York, helping provide calming and uplifting experiences for children and individuals with diverse needs.
Yoga Kawa also partners with Aloft Vaughan Mills to support charitable initiatives, including donations to the Ontario SPCA, contributing to animal welfare and responsible pet care.
In addition, we regularly provide in-kind donations and support to nonprofit and community organizations, helping raise awareness and resources for causes that benefit both people and animals.
Through these partnerships, we aim to spread joy, strengthen community connections, and encourage compassion and responsible stewardship toward animals.
We welcome participants who demonstrate kindness, patience, and respect toward the animals and our program guidelines designed to protect their wellbeing.
To ensure a safe and positive experience for everyone, participants are expected to follow staff instructions and interact with animals in a gentle and respectful manner at all times.
Yoga Kawa reserves the right to remove any participant from a session without refund if their behavior may cause stress to the animals, compromise animal welfare, or pose a safety risk to themselves or others.
At Yoga Kawa, we believe humans are stewards of the animals and living beings who share our planet. Through mindfulness, movement, and respectful interaction, we aim to create experiences that nurture compassion, connection, and responsible care for animals.
When animals are treated with patience, kindness, and dignity, they naturally bring joy, calm, and meaningful connection to the people around them.
We are committed to continuously improving our programs based on feedback, ensuring the ongoing well-being of both the pets and the participants.
