THE NEWS CHICK BLOG

Taking pets out of school classrooms

Jan 25, 2011, 10:12 AM | Updated: Mar 28, 2011, 3:46 pm

guinea-pigThe state is concerned about teachers’ pets. Not the children, but snakes, bunnies, guinea pigs, fish and other creatures that classrooms often adopt and care for.

Washington is considering legislation on which pets – other than service animals – should be allowed in classrooms.

State Health Department spokesman Donn Moyer tells me says the idea is to protect students who may suffer from asthma or pick up germs from animals. For example, turtles and snakes can spread salmonella.

“There’s a health risk for students who have allergies or respiratory conditions like asthma, and there can be other risks without thorough hand washing after handling animals,” Moyer says. “Managing animals in school facilities has been an ongoing issue for districts across the state, and so we encourage them to adopt policies that fit local needs and protect kids.”

Edmonds schools have a policy that bans most animals and that includes ant farms. Turtles, fish and frogs are allowed if they are kept in clean aquariums.

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Taking pets out of school classrooms