A close call for some cuddly creatures after a crash near Dorchester, Ont.

It was close call for some cuddly creatures after a truck and trailer transporting the animals were involved in a collision. The crash also left the operators of the traveling animal exhibit shaken up.

The incident resulted in two people being sent to hospital, but fortunately a trailer carrying dozens of animals remained upright.

Shawn McCallum of Educational Animal Display said the trailer was carrying "goats, sheep, ferrets, rabbits, hedgehogs. We had some lizards in there.”

And there was a kangaroo too. McCallum was riding in the pick-up when the crash happened, along with the driver and a friend. The driver and co-owner of Educational Animal Display was taken to hospital, as was the driver of the other vehicle involved. Both, reportedly, had injuries that were not believed to be serious.

While the operators of the animal display couldn't open the trailer while it was on the side of the road, McCallum said they could peek in and all indications pointed to the animals doing fine, "We were looking at them and you could tell they were okay."

The animals were going to the fair in Thorndale.

The crash happened just after 10 a.m. Sunday morning at the intersection of Cromarty Drive and Elgin Road, south of Dorchester.

The initial investigation indicated a red SUV was heading west on Cromarty when it went through the stop sign and was hit on the driver side by the northbound pick-up and trailer.

The vehicles ended up in the west side ditch of Elgin Road, north of the intersection. The trailer was partially in the shallow, east-side ditch.

The challenge for tow truck crews was ensuring the trailer stayed upright as they pulled it free. It was eventually moved to a nearby property where the animals were moved to a livestock trailer and taken back to the Educational Animal Display property near Aylmer.