My Pet Alpaca ended up becoming the most personalized mobile petting zoo in the D.C. Metro area almost overnight.
DELAPLANE, VA, February 28, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Andrea C. Diaz Peirano has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ms. Diaz established a unique business called My Pet Alpaca, through which she brings her beautiful, gentle animals into the community. She offers private, one-on-one sessions in clients' backyards, caters to children's birthday parties, travels to restaurants, schools, and nursing homes, and conducts zoom meetings for those looking for a personalized, online experience.
My Pet Alpaca ended up becoming the most personalized mobile petting zoo in the D.C. Metro area almost overnight. What made this startup most unusual was the fact that while most businesses were either closing or slowing down, Ms. Diaz's business grew exponentially. Even after four years, the business kept growing, so Ms. Diaz and her husband, Mr. Sean Jackson, bought a 25-acre farm in Delaplane, Virginia, to be able to keep up with the very high demand for more and more pets. Ms. Diaz realized there was plenty of room for new micro businesses aside My Pet Alpaca, so she started a Rent-a-Bunny, and One Day Baby Goat programs. This took the business to another level by catering to a market of parents who don't have the time to adopt a pet, but would like their children to have the experience of adopting one. Ms. Diaz also implemented specialized reptile visits and more programs that surpassed their clients' expectations.
Another factor that makes Ms. Diaz's business stand out is the fact that is a cage-free petting zoo. All of the animals free-range at their farm, and during visits, all the animals wear either collars or harnesses. There are no cages in sight. This is unique to them and breaks the norm, since every other petting zoo sets up cages or small fences to display their animals. This also shows the efficacy of their training program.
As of 2024, Ms. Diaz owns many miniature alpacas, mini goats, bunnies, snakes, and geckos. She plans to expand and acquire ponies, miniature cattle, and horses. As part of her daily responsibilities, Ms. Diaz ensures that all her animals are clean, fed, hygienic and very well trained. She notably created and established her own training program for her alpacas to ensure that they always feel confident in their surroundings.
Ms. Diaz grew up with pet alpacas in her home country of Peru, and her family housetrained them and learned much about their personality traits as a result. When she arrived in the U.S., she treated them in the same fashion that an American would treat their dog, exposing them to other people and other types of animals. Ms. Diaz helped quickly acclimate the alpacas to their surroundings. Those same alpacas before knowing Ms. Diaz, had very fearful personalities, since their previous farms only interacted with them on shot and shearing days.
After earning a high school diploma, Ms. Diaz pursued a degree in psychology in Peru. However, she received a student visa and seized the opportunity to relocate to the U.S., enrolling at Montgomery College for a business major. She also completed coursework online through the Wharton School of Business, where she studied entrepreneurship. Highly acclaimed for her work, Ms. Diaz and My Pet Alpaca have been featured on several media outlets, including People Magazine, FOX 5, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Disney Dining, Business Insider, WTOP Radio, The Lorraine Show, and even a local Ukraine television channel, among other publications.
Prior to founding My Pet Alpaca, Ms. Diaz was active as a bartender. She also worked her way up from serving to managing several restaurants over the years, showing an ability to learn quickly and stand out. Ms. Diaz has also provided her professional services for free through school auctions as a way to contribute to her community. By rescuing several alpacas, goats, bunnies and reptiles over the years, Ms. Diaz has also demonstrated a deep compassion for all living creatures, embodying empathy and responsibility beyond her professional endeavors.
Hoping to expand her business in the coming years, Ms. Diaz plans to provide cabins to expand her business towards tourism. She also hopes to build an outdoor movie theater, and create a partnership with Luna's Horses - Casa Hacienda Luna in The Sacred Valley, Cusco, Peru, of which Ms. Diaz is a partial owner, to bring another dimension to her business. She also expressed an interest in making her farm self-sustainable by designing a farm with a large organic garden, organic pastures for the animals, and perhaps a few bee hives to help the local flora and fauna. Overall, this business has a lot of room to grow and has over-delivered year after year.
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