Animals

Petting zoo, therapy dogs and animals on campus

Ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of participants, animals, and staff is essential for any event involving animals or animal-related activities. This webpage provides safety guidelines and best practices for events with petting zoos, therapy animals and live animal demonstrations. Following these requirements helps minimize risks related to allergies, injuries, sanitation, zoonotic diseases, and the ethical handling of animals while supporting a safe and positive experience for all attendees.

Below are approval and safety requirements for events involving animals at MIT.

Approval Requirements

To bring animals to campus, the following requirements must be met:

Approved location: Reserve both indoor and outdoor spaces to provide flexibility in case of bad weather. All spaces must be approved by the space manager and EHS.

Room Requirements: Only reserve rooms with tile or other hard-surface flooring; carpeted rooms are not permitted. Floors and all surfaces must be thoroughly cleaned after the event to help prevent allergic reactions.

Animal events must be held in rooms large enough to safely accommodate the expected number of participants within occupancy limits and allow approximately 5 feet of separation between each animal area.

Insurance: Vendors must provide a current Certificate of Liability Insurance (Form ACORD 25) with MIT named as additional insured on the general liability policy and MIT should be listed as the certificate holder. The vendor must carry a minimum $1M in general liability insurance.

If the vendor provides any services on site, the following additional coverages are required:

• Workers’ Compensation, with statutory limits, as required by MA law and Employers’ liability coverage, with a minimum limit of $1M
• Automobile: A minimum combined single limit (BI & PD) of $1M.

Please send the certificate(s) to insurance@mit.edu.

Animal Health and Vaccination: The vendor must provide proof of vaccination for each animal. Vaccination requirements vary depending on the animal species and age. If you provide EHS and/or DCM with a list of the animals involved, we can provide the applicable vaccination requirements.

USDA Class C Exhibitor License: Vendors providing animals for events must hold a valid United States Department of Agriculture Class C Exhibitor License under the Animal Welfare Act, when applicable.

Complete and submit: MIT Animal Approval and Safety Agreement Form, a hard copy of the completed agreement must be available on site during the event to address any instances of non-compliance. The signed document must also be uploaded to the Atlas event registration system.

Prohibited animals

• Certain breeds should not be allowed to participate in the puppy lab. These include:
  • Pit Bulls
  • Rottweilers
  • Doberman Pinschers
  • Bullmastiffs
  • Chow Chows
  • Wolf Hybrids
  • Akitas
  • German Shepherd
• Farm/zoo animals too young to be vaccinated

Safety Requirements

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Specific Considerations for Puppy Lab

1. No more than 5 dogs in the Lab at any one time.
2. Dogs should be confined to a specific area.
3. Dog owners are not required to provide a certificate of liability insurance; however, they must read and sign the “Expectations for Responsible Behavior, Guidelines, and Policies for Dog Owners of the MIT Puppy Lab” document.
4. Certain breeds should not be allowed to participate in the puppy lab. These are breeds that can be deemed ‘aggressive’ and ‘unpredictable’ and many are excluded from liability coverage by most homeowners/renter insurers.  We reserve the right to add to this list.
   These include:
   • Pit Bulls
   • Rottweilers
   • Doberman Pinschers
   • Bullmastiffs
   • Chow Chows
   • Wolf Hybrids
   • Akitas
   • German Shepherd
5. The staff member running the puppy lab (on any particular day) should monitor activity and ask an owner to remove their dog if they see inappropriate and/or aggressive behavior. This is for the safety of all participants and dogs.
6. Any incident (including dog bites) should be reported to the Insurance Office as soon as possible.

Animal Tissue and Dissection Events on Campus

The following guidelines apply to all campus events involving animal tissues, preserved specimens, slides, or animal dissections. These requirements are intended to ensure the health and safety of participants, staff, and the MIT community, while supporting compliance with institutional and regulatory requirements.

Requests for events involving animal tissues or dissections require a minimum notice period of two months prior to the event.

Submission Requirements

The Principal Investigator (PI) or responsible sponsor for the event must submit the MIT Animal Tissue and Dissection Event Safety Review Form to safe-project@mit.edu and provide the following information:

• A description of the animal tissue(s), specimens, or materials that will be used
• The vendor or supplier from which the tissue/specimens will be purchased
• A description of any prepared slides, preserved specimens, or demonstration materials that will be used
• The location of the laboratory or approved event space
• Names of the event organizers
• Name(s) of the responsible individual(s) who will be onsite during the event
• Contact information for the person responsible for overseeing the program/event
• The funding source
• A description of the planned activity, including whether participants will directly handle/dissect tissue or only observe
• Whether minors will be present and/or participating in the event
• Information regarding chemicals or preservatives that will be used, including concentrations and approximate volumes
• Information regarding the types of waste that will be generated so EHS can determine appropriate waste disposal requirements

Vertebrate Animal Tissue and Dissection Activities

For vertebrate animal tissues or dissections, additional review may be required by the Committee on Animal Care (CAC) and/or the Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM).

These activities may require review and approval by CAC and/or DCM prior to the event, the EHS Office will coordinate for the review.

Invertebrate Animal Tissue and Dissection Activities

Activities involving invertebrate tissues or specimens are generally reviewed by EHS and typically do not require CAC or DCM review unless determined necessary by EHS.

General Safety Requirements

• Animal tissue handling and dissections must only be conducted in approved laboratory spaces. These activities are not permitted in classrooms or general-use event spaces.
• Ensure a functioning handwashing station and eyewash station are available in the laboratory space.
• Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must be available and used, including gloves, lab coats, and eye protection, as appropriate for the activity.
• Event organizers are responsible for ensuring proper cleaning, disinfection, and waste disposal procedures are followed.
• Participants must be instructed on safe handling procedures prior to the activity.
• Additional ventilation or exposure controls may be required depending on the chemicals or preservatives used.

Waste Disposal Requirements

• EHS strongly recommends purchasing tissues or specimens preserved in environmentally safer alternatives that do not require hazardous waste disposal and are safer for participants and staff.
• If tissues are preserved in formalin or alcohol concentrations greater than 15%, contact EHS prior to the event. Additional ventilation, PPE, handling procedures, and hazardous waste disposal requirements may apply.
• Animal tissue waste must be managed in accordance with EHS and DCM requirements.
• All solid animal tissue waste must be frozen and stored in a designated DCM freezer until transported for incineration, when applicable.
• Chemical waste, preservatives, contaminated PPE, and disposable materials must be disposed of through approved hazardous or biological waste streams, as determined by EHS.

Minors Participation

If minors will be present or participating:

• Activities must be age-appropriate and adequately supervised at all times.
• Additional safety precautions and supervision requirements may apply depending on the nature of the activity.
• Event organizers must clearly communicate risks and required safety procedures to participants and guardians.
• Please review the minors at MIT website and register your event.

Process for Approval and Paperwork

1. The event organizer or PI submits the safety plan and required documentation to safe-project@mit.edu.
2. EHS BSP officers review the proposed activity and location.
3. EHS will forward the plan to DCM and/or CAC when determined necessary.
4. Additional revisions or controls may be required prior to approval.
5. Once approved, the final safety plan must be uploaded as part of the Atlas event registration process.

Forms & Resources

• MIT Animal Event Safety Agreement Form
• MIT Animal Tissue Dissection Event Form