There’s a lot of laughter and plenty of petting at the Mtn Peaks Therapy Llamas & Alpacas farm in Ridgefield, Washington, where visitors interact with a herd of friendly camelids, each about 300 pounds of fluff and joy and craving carrot kisses.

Many visitors to the farm are seeing a llama or alpaca in real life for the first time, and the up-close affection from these seeming magical characters bring a sense of happiness and reduce stress, said mother-daughter caregivers Lori Gregory and Shannon Joy, who believe strongly in sharing llama love.

One encounter at a time, Gregory and Joy are erasing the belief that llamas and alpacas will spit at strangers. Not true at this farm, where the larger, braver llamas and typically gentler and shier alpacas are accustomed to human engagement and don’t feel threatened. “They want you in their space,” said Joy, while standing in the farm’s barn, her mother laughing by her side.

“You can feel safe knowing that these guys are always going to just be huggable,” Joy added. “They are eager to get attention.”

Since 2007, Gregory and Joy have been escorting therapy llamas and alpacas, outfitted with a flower necklace, bows and an embroidered name sash, to more than 300 events a year.

The well-trained camelids are therapy animals comfortable being a calming presence in a crowd. They are different from emotional support animals.

Therapy animals need to be confident, and Gregory and Joy’s carefully selected herd has been raised to be self-assured and highly social. “Our boys have a unique disposition, making them excited to explore new spaces and meet new friends,” said Joy.

The Pacific Northwest’s most famous therapy animals walk in Portland Rose Parades, and are a pleasant surprise to guests at weddings and other special occasions.

Offering therapeutic and educational interactions, the animals are welcomed at senior communities, special-needs group gatherings and schools, as well as summer camps and youth detention centers.

Dozen of times throughout the year, Portland International Airport travelers and their family or friends helping in the ticketing area can line up to accept a warm and fuzzy nudge and pose for photos with the coiffed creatures.

People learn to tell the difference between these camelids: Llamas have a longer face, banana-shaped ears and a coarse overcoat of hair, while alpacas have smushed faces, short spear-shaped ears and a soft, fine coat of hair.

These domesticated hoof-less animals are related to camels, vicunas and guanacos that also have two-toed feet with toenails and leathery sole pads.

Gregory, Joy and a handful of volunteers work at the airport to raise money for Mtn Peaks Therapy Llamas & Alpacas nonprofit. The mother and daughter duo said they plan to visit the Portland airport five more times over the holiday season.

Over the years, they have watched people with travel fatigue run with excitement and curiosity toward the animals and wrap arms around a long furry neck and move in even closer to embrace a congenial camelid.

“It’s hard to be in your mind about your stresses or in your body about your physical ailments when you are in the moment hugging a llama,” Joy told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “We see pent-up stress and fear disappear when a llama walks in.”

Public events are posted on

@rojothellama, the legacy Instagram account of the late llama Rojo.

Not all animals like to ride in a van like Beni the llama and Captain Jack the alpaca, and Gregory and Joy put the animals’ wellbeing first. “We keep them happy, and take a friend along if they enjoy doing events, and do not keep them off the farm for too long from their pasture mates,” said Gregory.

Visitors to the farm a half-hour drive from Portland can meet the entire herd of five llamas and eight alpacas, many donated by local farms. Children who are hesitant at first eventually find their favorite camelid to brush, feed or walk holding reins to a halter, said Gregory.

“We talk to parents and find out the goals they are working on with their child,” said Gregory. “It might be vocal skills, reaching with their arms or memory, like trying to remember the route through the obstacle course.”

Joy raised a llama for a 4-H project in her youth, and she and her mom noticed everyone engaging with the unusual animal at the county fairgrounds. They then decided to open their farm to visitors.

Private tours of the farm are booked until 2025, according to classycamelids.com, the website of Gregory and Joy’s entertainment company, Classy Camelids, that books meet-and-greet style appearances. Fees support their nonprofit.

Limited reservations are still available for Holidays with the Herd photo sessions.