**  Animal and Pet Guidelines –XXXXXXXX School  **

     The guiding principles for hosting or sharing animals, pets, or other living material at XXX are as follows:

 1. The safety of the students and staff must be maintained at all times.
 2. Pet visits and hosting must be safe and low stress for the animals.
 3. Use of animals in school must be clearly supportive of the curriculum.

In order to be consistent with these principles, all pet visits must be approved by a teacher or administrator in advance of the visit. Pets must be transported and stored in safe, humane, and secure containers. Students wishing to share pets for extended stays must provide supplies for the care of the animal.

Do not send animals or animal parts to school for identification without prior approval and containment! Animals are not allowed on school buses.

The following animals cannot be hosted or shared at XXX:

Snakes/any species - snakes caught in the wild can die very easily from stress
Turtles/frogs any species - all turtle species carry salmonella bacteria; many turtles are protected
Biting/stinging insects – for example, beehives can have live larvae and hatch in classrooms: they must be specially treated
Wild rodents – these animals can die easily of stress and often have unpleasant parasites
Wild birds - these animals can die easily of stress and often have unpleasant parasites
Family cats and dogs – family pets can be unpredictable and stressed in new environments; cat/dog dander is allergenic to many people

It is illegal to keep wild animals in New Hampshire without a license. Only trained and licensed animal handlers may bring ‘wild’ animals into the school with prior knowledge and approval of the administration.

Appropriate containers must include the following:

Secure cage with air flow – avoid glass. Cages should be ‘chew proof’ and tip resistant.
Appropriate ‘litter’ and method of cleaning cage.
Water supply.
Refuge areas for animals.
Adequate space for the number of animals housed.
Method of sharing the animal safely and securely.

 

Animals can teach our youngsters many things. At home, small wild creatures are usually OK to keep for very short time periods in appropriate containers. All wild animals are best returned to their habitat or closest safe place as quickly as possible after studying them. Avoid handling animals because of stress to the animal and disease transmission to you. Any questions, contact NH Fish and Game, or the Stratham SPCA.