Pets can be an important and memorable part of your program. It is important to think carefully about how to keep the pets and the children safe. Some pets present a danger to children and staff. Use these Inspection Standards for pets to guide your choices. - Make sure the pets other than fish are inspected by a veterinarian or a qualified individual every month.
- Make sure pets are contained in appropriate cages, enclosures, or areas when not part of the activity.
- Make sure the pets’ cages or enclosures are clean and sanitary.
- Notify parents at registration if animals are in your facility. Notify parents any time a new animal is added to the program.
- Never bring pets bred or trained for attack or pets known to be dangerous (predators, venomous reptiles, spiders) into your center.
- For health reasons, do not bring the following animals into your center:
- Wolf-dog hybrids
- Reptiles and amphibians
- Psittacine birds unless tested for psittacosis (includes parrots, parakeets, budgies, and cockatiels)
- Ferrets
- Note: tadpoles can be in programs for science observations, but once they become frogs they should be removed.
|