Thursday, October 5, 2017

Tips For Starting A Small Petting Zoo



For people who love animals, finding a way to make a living while working with them is the perfect combination. There are many careers and jobs available where you can get paid to work with and take care of animals. For some, the idea of starting a small petting zoo may spark their interest. It can be a great business opportunity for animal lovers. Below are some things to take into consideration when starting a small petting zoo.

Legal Considerations

Before any other task, it is important to be sure to get all of the necessary permits and licenses that are required by your local, state or federal government agencies. The first place you might want to begin is by contacting your local Department of Agriculture, local licensing boards and local zoning boards. It is also a requirement for all local businesses to carry liability insurance policies to protect their business from injury claims. Animals can be very unpredictable. Liability insurance can protect your zoo from lawsuits in the unfortunate event that a visitor gets hurt while on your premises.

Location

For a proper petting zoo, you will need to find a location that has at least ten or more acres for proper planning. If you ever decide to expand, you will be glad you have the space to. The location should also be a reasonable distance from a large city or town in order to generate a sufficient amount of visitors to stay profitable. Petting zoos which are very rural will often not generate enough visitors to stay open.

Animals

Petting zoos need to have a large variety of animals. Common choices usually include animals such as cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits, horses and deer. Larger animals need to be behind secured fences away from the guests and will need close monitoring while visitors are interacting with them. All animals should be purchased by reputable breeders and taken care of properly. To take care of the animals, most petting zoos should also consider animal insurance such as equine liability insurance from www.arkagency.com.

Once you get all set up, you will be able to staff your zoo and start marketing. There are lots of ways to generate traffic to your new petting zoo. Most schools, daycares and scouting groups are typically interested in setting up field trips to petting zoos for their kids to enjoy.

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