Tails & Trails: Dog Day at the Zoo

All dog tickets must be pre-registered by the date listed above, so our vets can review your dog’s records to ensure they meet requirements. Only human tickets will be available at the gate.

Medical records must be received no later than 4pm on October 16. Upload your dog’s veterinary records to the link provided in your canine ticket purchase confirmation email. You will only have one opportunity to upload these documents, please verify before you select submit that all required documentation has been provided.

• • Medical requirements:
    • Up-to-date vaccination for: Rabies
    • Up-to-date vaccination for: Distemper virus, Adenovirus (also called canine Hepatitis) and Parvo virus
    • Up-to-date vaccination for: Bordetella
    • Proof of negative heartworm test within the past year AND proof of purchase for heartworm preventative

These records are being required by the Virginia Zoo's board certified veterinarian for the safety of both your animals and those that call the Zoo home. If you have questions or or need clarification, please email us at [email protected].

If our vets do not approve your dog’s veterinary records, your ticket will be cancelled and refunded. You will be notified at the email you provided when tickets were reserved.

Yes, dogs must be on a leash at all times during the event, even if they are in a carrier or a stroller. Leashes must be no longer than 6 feet and should be non-retractable.

No, hands-free leashes are not permitted at this event to ensure the safety of all animals and guests in attendance.

Each adult (18+) can only be accompanied by ONE dog. If you would like to bring more than one dog, you will need to have another adult present with you in your party.

No, only dogs are allowed at this time.

Guests are encouraged to bring their own treats, water bowls, and relief bags. Limited water stations will be available around the Zoo. Water will also be available for purchase.

Dogs are currently not permitted to enter the Zoo Farm, the World of Reptiles or Turtle Oasis. Other areas may not be available as programs or animals dictate. Dogs must remain behind the guest fences or stanchions, not go through them, and obey all posted signage.

The Zoo will be installing a designated dog relief area (see event map). All guests will be responsible for cleaning up after their dogs should it be needed.

Puppies under 4 months, sick dogs, dogs with active injuries (i.e. stitches, bandages), unvaccinated dogs, and female dogs in heat are not suitable for the event.

Yes, of course! All dog and zoo-lovers are welcome! The Zoo will be open for extended hours for this event and guests are more than welcome to purchase a human ticket to attend without a dog.

No, all documents and completion of the waiver needs to be done at one time. If you have trouble with your submission, email us at [email protected].

Yes, service dogs are welcomed to this event at their handler's discretion. If your service dog is on duty, while the handler will require to purchase a ticket, the dog will not. However, to assist with planning, a cost-free reservation is requested by contacting us at [email protected] to let us know your working service dog will be attending.

Emotional support dogs do not qualify as service animals according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and are therefore required to purchase a ticket to attend this event.

For safety reasons, we have a limited number of dog tickets available for this event. Veterinary records must be submitted for all dogs with tickets purchased for this event, however, it could take our team a few days to ensure the records are sufficient and approved. Should records not be approved, some dog tickets may open up, so please reserve a free waitlist ticket at the ticket link to be added to our waitlist!

The health and safety of our Zoo animals is always our top priority. We are ensuring their wellbeing during this event in a number of ways, including:

1. Our team has done extensive research and consulted with other AZA-accredited facilities who have hosted similar events. We have also reviewed in detail all aspects of the event with our Veterinary and Animal Care teams, including them in every step of the process and acting on their recommendations.
2. For this event, dogs will not be permitted in some parts of the Zoo, including the ZooFarm, World of Reptiles, and Turtle Oasis. This is to protect our animals from close contact with the dogs, as well as prevent stress for some of our more reactive species.
3. We conducted two test days with well-behaved pets of our Zoo Team and Members, which allowed our Animal Care Team to evaluate their animals’ responses to dogs. The open areas of the Zoo were selected because the keepers identified that the animals in that area did not exhibit concerning behaviors during the tests.
4. During our test days, and through our research, we actually found that having some dogs on site was enriching for many of the animals here at the Zoo! Many of the animals were interested in our canine friends and it proved to be stimulating and exciting for them!
5. We will continue to monitor our animals’ behavior during and after the event as well as make adjustments mid-event and for future events accordingly.
6. On the day of the event, any dogs behaving in an unruly or aggressive manner (i.e. excessive barking, growling, lunging, biting, etc.) will be required to leave Zoo grounds without a refund.

Bringing in other animals onto Zoo grounds is something we take very seriously. We are adhering to all recommendations by animal experts at our facility and other AZA organizations. Additionally, we require detailed vaccination and veterinary records to be submitted for review by our Veterinarian for all dogs attending this event.