Interaction With Animals

The following guidelines are implemented when children have the opportunity to interact with animals.

  1. Staff will ensure that children are closely supervised at all times.

  2. Staff and children will immediately wash their hands after touching animals. Staff will closely supervise to ensure that after hand-washing children do not become decontaminated by playing with children who have not washed their hands.

  3. While visiting animals children are not to:
    - Touch mouth or lick fingers
    - Eat food intended for animals
    - Eat general food
    - Leave open wounds uncovered

  4. Always wash hands and other exposed body parts with liquid soap and running water after:
    - Touching animals, their enclosures or food containers.
    - Being licked, bitten or spat on by animals
    - Having contact with soil or faeces.

  5. Staff will encourage caring behaviours and handling of all animals

Source referenced – www.health,vic.gov.au
“Zoos & Personal Hygiene.”

Policy reviewed August 2017