'How do we stay open?' Huntley-based A Zoo To You struggles to survive pandemic

Described as a "mobile zoo," Corey Hancock's A Zoo To You in Huntley has never been just a business.

The animals - from ponies and reindeer to exotic mammals, reptiles and birds - are like family, Hancock said.

"This is my life," said Hancock, whose dream always has been to open a permanent zoo in McHenry County.

As much as he can't imagine ever letting the business go, he's afraid it won't survive the pandemic.

A part of Santa's Village AZoosment Park in East Dundee from 2002 until Hancock took over sole ownership in 2016, A Zoo To You at Zoosareus.com offers a traveling petting zoo, exotic animal shows, pony carousels, reindeer displays and more.

Since venturing out on his own, Hancock averaged about 400 events and shows a year throughout McHenry County, the greater Chicago region, Wisconsin and Indiana.

With pandemic restrictions in place, most of A Zoo To You's bookings were canceled. With only about 40 bookings this past year, the business lost at least 80% of its revenue, Hancock said.

"Last year, it was like, 'OK, how are we going to do this?'" said Hancock, who moved his animals from Marengo to Huntley in 2019. "I have never wanted to close, but it's wrestling with the reality of, 'How do we stay open?'"

Aware of his plight, Deb Heath of Oakwood Hills created a "Help save A Zoo To You" page at GoFundMe.com with a goal to raise $40,000. As of this week, the page had raised only about $340.

Heath had seen Hancock and A Zoo To You in action at church events, such as a program for special needs children, and wanted to help.

"This has been very hard for the family since these animals are handled and hand fed and worked with on a daily basis to make sure that they are calm and family friendly for their events," she wrote. "These are not just ordinary animals that you see everywhere. They are part of their family."

A member of First United Methodist Church in Crystal Lake, Heath coordinates a Friday Food Truck for people in need. Any food left over or damaged in any way has gone to Hancock to help him feed his animals.

"He's a great guy, and I am a big animal lover," Heath said. "Anybody, to me, who is kind and caring to animals is good in my book. ... He's also really good at what he does."

The type of events A Zoo To You hosts varies widely, but they're all interactive and educational, Hancock said. Family fun days. Birthday parties. Daycares. Schools. Special needs camps. Photo sessions. Churches. Festivals. He once even brought his animals to a training camp for the Chicago Bears.

In the past year, he's had to sell many of animals, mainly goats and sheep, to keep afloat.

He's gone from roughly 140 animals to about 80. Having bred animals in the past, he's no longer able to do so.

"Our first priority has always been making sure the animals are cared for and fed," he said. "I take care of them before I pretty much take care of me."

Bookings this winter involving his reindeer - yes, Hancock said, they actually exist even through many people, including adults, don't know that - have helped. To improve cash flow, he began hosting smaller birthday parties, but the expense of bringing the animals to the parties left him with no profit. He actually lost money.

The business went from 12 to 15 employees to six people who "stuck it out with me," Hancock said.

"I'm thankful for that, but it's hard on them just as much as it's hard on me," he said. "I can't give them the hours I'd like to give them. They just aren't there."

Hancock has sought government funding and has tried to become more web and social media savvy with his business, but hasn't found as much success as he'd like. He's also scheduled to have a second knee surgery soon, which makes the situation even more difficult.

Still, he said, he's hopeful business will pick up soon.

"I'm pretty sure we can get through spring, and then I'm hoping they'll loosen restrictions," he said. "It looks hopefully promising, but I can't say for sure until we get there."

As an outdoor attraction, A Zoo To You easily can host socially distanced events, he said.

Before the pandemic began, the Fox Valley Park District had booked the business to offer a petting zoo at Blackberry Farms in Aurora. If the farm opens this year, Hancock said, his animals likely will be there for patrons to visit on a daily basis.

"In 2019, we had one of the best years we've ever had, and I wanted to offer more," he said.

"My ultimate goal is to provide a zoo that you can actually come to in McHenry County. That'll take another property, money and time."