Safety
Children should be protected as far as possible from a dog bite (or bite from another pet) as these incidents can have physical and psychological consequences for a child. The foster carer should take every precaution possible, and never leave a child unsupervised with any pet.
There are laws and expectations that govern the responsible ownership of dogs. Some dog breeds are banned including Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Arentino, Fila Brasileiro and XL Bully dogs.
Hygiene
Dogs can carry zoonotic diseases (animal diseases that can be passed to human). Therefore, the foster carer will need to have high levels of hygiene in place. These should include washing hands with antibacterial soap after handling the pet, and disposing of all faeces swiftly using protective gloves. They should also ensure that the pet has any appropriate care, including treatment for worms and fleas, vaccinations, etc.
Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a parasite often found in the faeces of cats. It can be transmitted to children and others by the consumption of food, water, soil (garden borders), sand (children’s sand pits), and fingers contaminated or infected by cat faeces. Babies and young children with weakened immune systems are at particular risk.
Proof of good basic hygiene practices will be important for your assessment and should include:
