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Meet the Furries of OWOmaha and celebrate a unique part of our community
It’s not every day that you’re required to sign a legal document handed to you by a giant animal standing on its hind feet.
It may sound like some hard-to-explain dream, but it was a reality at the 2019 Pets in Omaha Pick a Pooch Adoption Days and Pet Expo. Hundreds of people shared in the experience, thanks to our furry friends from OWOmaha.
If it still doesn’t make sense, let us explain.
In August of 2018, Midna Nikos saw a need in the community for a space in which people who love talking animals could come together to make friends. Anthropomorphic animals- that is, people who play animals with human qualities like speech- didn’t have a safe environment to make life-long connections, so she created one.
She and about 130 others make up OWOmaha. It’s a “group and safe place for making friends and creating social interactions between local furries, gamers, cosplayers, or any other nerdy social misfits,” the group’s MeetUp page says. The furries are the members wild about animals with human-like characteristics.
“The one thing we have in common,” Midna said, is that “other than desiring a friendly community, we all are fans of Anthropomorphic animals. Think back to all those Disney movies with the talking animals, like Robin Hood, and that’s pretty much what an anthropomorphic animal, or ‘anthro’ as well call them, is.”
Members participate for many reasons, as is the case in any group. As for Midna, she participates to “encourage the best out of people and to make sure my members feel safe and welcome in the group.”
If you can believe it, one can find difficulty locating a non-judgmental part of the population that accepts people who have personas that include dressing like an animal. Midna has created a safe space for those hoping to be around others who share that interest.
OWOmahans have weekly Thursday game nights at Legendary Wolf Games inside Oakview Mall. Roughly 30 people participate, she said. As for volunteering, the group is always on the lookout for opportunities where it can help “make a difference and shine a positive light” on their part in the local community. In fact, that’s how Pets in Omaha and OWOmaha met. Prior to our event in July, OWOmaha reached out, hoping to get involved. Furries greeted event-goers at the door of Ralston Arena, taking photos with many and spreading joy through the crowd.
The group generally advocates to improve relations between furries and the general public, Midna said. “Furries usually get a bad reputation because many of them tend to be different. The furry fandom,” she said, “is full of the sweetest, friendliest, and most creative people you could ever meet. It’s our goal to show that side to the local community and to shine a positive light on our fandom.”
If you’re looking for more about the group or want to get involved with its outreach, check out its Facebook page here. Also, check out the official Twitter for OWOmaha here and find information about upcoming events on its MeetUp page.
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