Frequently Asked Questions
What is PAWS?
PAWS — the Professional Association of Wildlife & Sports — is a trade association for animal-attraction and amusement operators: petting zoos, pony rides, beer burros, mobile farms, and similar businesses. The public side is a free searchable directory of member operators; the member side is a paid membership with a public listing, a leads inbox, partner discounts, and operator guides.
Is it free to search the directory and contact an operator?
Yes. Searching, browsing profiles, and sending a request through a member's listing are free, with no account needed. We don't charge event hosts anything.
What do the association's standards mean?
Every member agrees to our code of standards: trained handlers stay with animals at events, hand-washing or sanitizer stations at animal pens, hand-led pony rides with helmets available, animal rest rotations, and carrying liability insurance they can document to a venue on request. Membership is not a government license and not a guarantee — always confirm insurance and practices directly for your event.
How much does membership cost for operators?
$149 per year, billed annually and renewing automatically until you cancel.
What does membership include?
A public directory listing with your services and service area, leads emailed to you and collected in your dashboard, partner discounts (vehicle rentals, hosting, business tools, animal supplies), the member guide library, and the PAWS member badge for your website and booth.
Can I cancel my membership?
Yes. Cancel free of charge within 7 days of signing up for a full refund. After 7 days, membership fees are non-refundable, but you can cancel future renewals anytime from your dashboard billing page.
My membership was provided through a partner — what can I change?
Nothing was charged to you and there is no recurring charge on your end, so there is nothing to cancel. Your account settings let you update your email and password, and you manage your listing like any other member.
My business is listed but I never signed up. Why?
To make the directory useful to event planners from day one, the association pre-lists established operators from public information. You can claim your listing — which moves it under your control and adds the member benefits — or ask us to remove it from the contact page.
Does PAWS sell insurance?
No. PAWS is a trade association, not an insurance agency, and membership does not include insurance. Members carry their own coverage; our learning hub points operators to specialists who quote this class of business.