About PAWS
PAWS — Professional Association of Wildlife & Sports is a trade association for the businesses that bring animals and amusements to events: petting zoos, pony ride operators, beer burro services, mobile farms, and similar attractions.
The association exists to solve a problem on both sides of a booking. Event hosts — parents, schools, wedding planners, festival organizers — have no easy way to tell a professional operator from a hobbyist. Operators, meanwhile, are small businesses competing for attention against much bigger marketing budgets. A directory built on a shared code of standards helps both.
Our code of standards
Every member agrees to practices that protect animals and guests:
- Trained handlers stay with animals for the duration of every event
- Hand-washing or sanitizer stations at animal pens
- Hand-led pony rides, with helmets available on request
- Rest rotations, shade, and water for working animals
- Liability insurance the member can document to a venue on request
Membership is not a license and not a guarantee — hosts should still confirm insurance and practices for their specific event — but it sets a bar, and it gives venues a place to start.
How the association is funded
Operator dues ($149 a year) fund the association. Some member benefits are affiliate partnerships — the association may earn a commission when a member uses a listed offer, at no extra cost to the member. See our disclaimer for details.
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