Is a permit required to operate a Petting Zoo?
At a petting zoo, any bite or nonbite exposure should immediately be reported to the petting zoo operator. Try to identify the individual animal as best as possible by noting its color, color pattern or identity tag if visible. A bite exposure is any penetration by mouth to the skin of humans or animals. A nonbite exposure is a scratch, abrasion, open wound, or contamination of mucous membranes with saliva or other potentially infectious material from a rabid animal. Depending on the animal and the circumstances, a scratch can be considered a potential rabies exposure. The Department’s primary concern is with bites from mammalian animal species that can carry the Rabies virus such as typical farm animals (sheep, cows, horses, etc.) or domestic animals (dog, cats, ferrets, etc.). Bites from non-mammalian animals, such as chickens, parrots, reptiles etc., are not Rabies virus carriers. Wounds sustained from non-mammalian animals should be, at least, cleaned and disinfected as soon as pra
