Glasgow venue cancels petting zoo for Easter event after community 'concerns'

A petting zoo which was to be held at a venue in Glasgow has been cancelled after organisers received “concerns” from the local community.

Church on the Hill, in Glasgow’s Southside, was set to host a pop-up petting zoo on Easter Monday.

Families were set to be given the chance to meet “silkie Easter chicks, alpacas, a barn owl, a tortoise, and Mika and Marshmallow” – a pair of rabbits.

The event was set to be part of its spring market and Easter egg hunt, which is to feature local sellers offering a variety of goods, from food and drink to arts and crafts.

However, the venue was criticised by members of the local community who raised “concerns” regarding the welfare of the animals.

Church on the Hill released a statement saying it had “listened and learned” from the feedback and went on to cancel the petting zoo element of the event.

A spokesperson said: “We wanted to share an important update regarding our upcoming Easter family event at Church on the Hill.

“This event was created with the simple goal of bringing joy to local families and creating a fun, memorable day for children — something we remain fully committed to. While the original plan included a professionally run petting zoo, we’ve made the decision not to include any animals in the event this year.

“Over the past week, we’ve received a wide range of feedback and concerns from the community. We want to say clearly: we’ve listened, we’ve learned, and we respect and appreciate everyone who took the time to share their views with us. This was not an easy decision, but we believe it’s the right one, and it allows us to move forward in a way that reflects the values of care and kindness at the heart of Church on the Hill.

“The rest of the event will still be going ahead as planned, with lots of fun activities for families to enjoy — and we would love for you to join us in celebrating Easter together. Thank you for your continued support.”