About Us

It began with a childhood dream…

From the time I was a young boy, I have been drawing pictures of zoos. I remember wanting to build a gorilla sanctuary so I could rescue as many as I could, and care for them. As a kid, I also remember going through the “behind the scenes” of the gorilla exhibit at The Bronx Zoo. My uncle was part of the team that built it, which was the only reason I had access. For me at the time, this was the coolest experience ever! From that point on, I knew that I was going to be working with animals, I just didn’t know how.

Later in life, I found myself working at multiple places involving all different types of animals. I loved it, and still, cherish those memories to this day. However, I remember feeling upset that those animals were not my own, and that one day, I would have to leave them.

I moved up to New York after joining the Army and was fortunate enough to have the support I needed to jump-start my dream into a reality! It started off with just a small collection of animals, that like a ripple in the water, grew bigger and bigger each year. I was blessed with having students from the college three miles down the road, volunteers from the community, and family members, to help with the continued growth of the zoo.

Along with owning a zoo, like any business, there are many regulations that need to be followed. I knew that we would need to have a separate building if we were to continue growing our wildlife rehabilitation center. Keeping these animals separate helps to prevent any parasites or diseases from spreading to our zoo animals. Also, this keeps the wildlife animals off of display, and stress-free, which is crucial for a speedy recovery. Here at G&G animals, we are committed to educating the public in a fun and interactive way; so we can share our passion for these animals with everyone else!

– Danny Oostdyk, Owner of G&G Animals

Grace and Glory Animals is not only dedicated to saving wildlife, but also to helping the public learn about wildlife safety in innovative and exciting new ways! We are a non-profit organization that receives no government funding and all donations we receive go directly towards the care of our animals. We were founded in 2009 and have continued to grow with the help of the public donating their time and money!

We offer shows for any type of occasions such as birthday parties, scouts, school events, and event camps. You can find more details out about our programs in the programs tab.

Grace and Glory also hosts a Christian summer camp, Camp Foundations, for kids ages 4-14. We pick our camp counselors very selectively and make sure they are dedicated to making each individual child’s summer memorable and special. Find out more about our action-packed summer camp by clicking the Camp Foundations tab!