Fair Petting Zoos and Animal Displays

What is a petting zoo or animal display?

A petting zoo is an area where visitors can touch and feed certain animals, often goats, sheep, rabbits or calves. An animal display may be behind a fence, so you can see the animals but not touch them. Fairs also have barns where exhibitors keep animals they are showing, and those have their own rules.

The fair decides which animals are on display and how visitors may interact. Look for signs and staff.

Some fairs set up special areas for baby animals, such as chicks or calves, and these may have extra rules. Staff can explain what is allowed.

Why is hand washing so important?

Animals can carry germs that make people sick even when they look healthy and clean. The CDC advises washing hands with soap and water after touching animals or their surroundings, and many fairs provide hand-washing stations near animal areas. Alcohol-based sanitizer is not a full replacement, so use soap and water when you can.

Make hand washing part of the routine before you eat or drink, not only after a visit.

Water and soap should be reachable without leaving the animal area, and many fairs add signs that remind families to use them. Look for those signs when you arrive.

• Wash with soap and water after contact
• Do it before eating or drinking
• Supervise young children
• Follow the fair's posted signs

What are the basic rules for contact?

Follow the signs and staff directions. Do not eat, drink or use a pacifier in animal areas. Keep strollers, toys and food out of pens. Avoid kissing animals or putting hands near your face after contact.

Public health guidance on animal contact at fairs is available from the CDC, and the fair's rules may add more. Those rules take priority.

If you see a person eating in an animal area, remind your group of the rule rather than confronting anyone. Staff can help if needed. Wear shoes that can get dirty, and plan to change or wash after a visit if the pens are muddy. Keep any hand sanitizer for in between, not instead of soap.

Who needs to take extra care?

Young children, older adults, pregnant people and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk from germs that animals may carry. If someone in your group falls into one of these groups, ask your own health professional how to approach animal contact at a fair.

I cannot give medical advice. The CDC page linked below explains the guidance, and your clinician can apply it to you.

Check the fair's own page for animal contact information. Some fairs also post details about animal health checks and what they require of exhibitors. If you are unsure whether your own situation calls for extra care, ask a doctor or pharmacist before you go rather than at the gate.

How should you treat the animals?

Be gentle and quiet. Pet animals on the back or shoulder rather than the face, and do not chase or grab. If an animal moves away, let it. Feed animals only if the fair provides food and allows it, and never offer your own snacks.

Teach children to approach slowly and to let the animal come to them. Animals in public settings can get tired, so a quiet break is good for them.

If an animal looks unwell or hurt, tell a staff member. They can check on it and respond as needed.

How can you tell whether a display is well run?

Look for clean pens, fresh water, shade, clear signs and staff who watch over the area. Animals should have room to move away from visitors. Hand-washing stations should be easy to find. If something looks wrong, tell a staff member.

Many extension offices and 4-H groups run educational displays. They can answer questions about animal care and handling.

Ask who takes care of the animals and how often they get breaks. Volunteers and staff typically welcome the question.

What can you learn from the displays?

Animal displays are a chance to learn where food comes from, how animals are raised and what care they need. Staff and volunteers are often glad to talk about the animals, and some fairs offer short demonstrations.

Ask questions, listen to the answers and thank the people who do the work. Their care is why the displays are possible.

Remember that many animals on display belong to local families, and respect for them is part of respect for the community. Take a minute to read the signs posted at each pen. They often name the breed and share a few facts that can start a conversation with children.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the County Fair & Rodeo Guide Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.