Public speaking anxiety affects nearly two-thirds of college students, yet effective oral communication ranks as employers’ most valued skill in college graduates. This mixed-methods study first quantitatively examined the impact of handling live animals (turtles, salamanders, chickens, and non-venomous snakes) in the college classroom to reduce public speaking anxiety and enhance the teaching skills of students desiring to be teachers. In a longitudinal follow-up study, qualitative methods were used with alumni of the Teaching with Animals course who took the course at least five years prior and now work as K-12 teachers. The objectives of this presentation are to: (1) describe how live animals can be safely incorporated into a college classroom, (2) describe the outcomes of incorporating live animals on public speaking anxiety and (3) reveal the benefits of participation in a course with live animals on the classroom activities of practicing teachers. Public speaking anxiety levels from before and after participation in the Teaching with Animals course were compared across 29 alumni. Results revealed a statistically significant reduction in public speaking anxiety (t = 4.110, p < 0.001). Students with prior experience in youth development programs (4-H and FFA) demonstrated greater anxiety reductions than their peers. This suggests that repeated exposure to presenting with animals may have synergistic benefits on public speaking confidence. Content analysis of five alumni interviews revealed seven key themes related to a teachers’ participation in the course at least five years prior: increased rapport with students, enhanced audience engagement, greater connection to curriculum, abilities to capitalize on spontaneous teachable moments, unique student experiences, student relaxation, and reduction of stigma around stereotyped animals. These findings suggest that safely incorporating animals into the college classroom can reduce public speaking anxiety among undergraduates and that students who become teachers continue integrating animals into their own classrooms.