Checklist template

Live animal care for pet stores

A ready-to-use checklist with 106 items in 6 sections, covering Feeding and water, Enclosures, Health checks, Cleaning, Records, Isolation. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 106 Items
  • 89 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 119 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Feeding and water 18 items

  1. A feeding chart listing the diet, quantity and feeding times for each species is posted in the animal care room Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The morning feeding was completed before the store opened today Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Each feeding is initialed on the daily care sheet by the employee who did it Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Fresh greens and vegetables are washed before they are offered Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Leftover fresh food from the previous feeding has been taken out of the enclosures Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Dry feed for store use is kept in lidded, labeled bins rather than in open bags Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Each store-use feed bin shows the date its bag was opened Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Frozen feeder rodents are thawed in a refrigerator or in a sealed bag in warm water, never in a microwave Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Frozen feeders are kept in a freezer used only for animal feed Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Live feeder insects in holding bins have food and a moisture source Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Sipper tubes were tested for flow on every water bottle this morning Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Bowls and bottles are emptied and refilled with fresh water every day, not topped up Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Hay racks for rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas are full at the time of the visit Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Guinea pigs receive a daily source of vitamin C as shown on the feeding chart Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Feeding on holidays and days the store is closed is assigned by name on the schedule Yes / No 1 pt
  16. An employee asked could state what one species in their care is fed and how often Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Enclosures found with an empty water bottle or bowl during the visit Number
  18. Feeding routine as observed and as recorded Rating
    • Every feeding done on time and initialed 5 pts
    • Feedings done but the record has gaps 3 pts
    • Feedings late or missed 1 pt

2. Enclosures 17 items

  1. Each enclosure holds no more animals than the maximum posted on it Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Males and females of species that breed readily (hamsters, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits) are housed apart Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Species are not mixed in one enclosure unless the company care guide allows it Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Each enclosure carries a card showing the species, arrival date and vendor Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Every enclosure door and lid is latched or locked at the time of the visit Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Enclosures within customers' reach are locked so animals cannot be handled without an employee Yes / No 1 pt
  7. No enclosure has cracked glass, broken wire or a sharp edge Yes / No 1 pt
  8. No enclosure sits in direct sunlight Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Prey species (mice, rats, hamsters) are not housed where they can see or smell snakes and other predators Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Empty enclosures are stripped of old bedding and marked as empty Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Enclosure cards are updated the same day when animals are moved between enclosures Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Animals on hold for a customer are tagged with the customer's name and the pickup date Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Securing the animal area at night (lids weighted, room locked) is a line on the closing checklist Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The heating and cooling setpoint for the animal area stays the same after closing as during trading hours Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Room temperature in the small animal area (°F or °C) Number
  16. Occupied sale enclosures at the time of the visit Number
  17. Condition of the sale enclosures Rating
    • All latched, carded and within the posted maximum 5 pts
    • A few cards missing or out of date 3 pts
    • Enclosures over the posted maximum or left unlatched 1 pt

3. Health checks 18 items

  1. Every animal is observed by a trained employee before opening and the check is initialed Yes / No 1 pt
  2. A second observation of every animal is made before closing Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The check sheet lists what to look at: eyes, nose, coat or feathers, droppings, appetite and movement Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Animals seen during the visit have clear eyes and noses with no discharge Yes / No 1 pt
  5. No animal on the sales floor shows diarrhea or a soiled tail area Yes / No 1 pt
  6. No animal on the sales floor shows hair loss, scabs or an untreated wound Yes / No 1 pt
  7. No animal on the sales floor is breathing noisily or with effort Yes / No 1 pt
  8. New arrivals are examined on the day of delivery before they join existing stock Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Animals noted at the morning check as needing attention were looked at again by midday, with the result written on the check sheet Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The name and phone number of the store's veterinarian are posted in the animal care room Yes / No 1 pt
  11. An employee asked could explain who to call when an animal falls ill after the veterinarian's hours Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Birds and reptiles are weighed on the schedule in the care guide and each weight is recorded Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Every dose due so far today on the treatment cards has been given and initialed Yes / No 1 pt
  14. New employees do not care for animals alone until the animal care lead has signed them off Yes / No 1 pt
  15. An animal being sold is looked over by the employee at the counter before it is boxed Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Animals on the sales floor showing signs of illness during the visit Number
  17. Animals flagged as needing attention at this morning's health check Number
  18. Health of the animals observed Rating
    • All bright, alert and clean 5 pts
    • One or two need attention and staff had already identified them 3 pts
    • Sick animals not identified by staff 1 pt

4. Cleaning 17 items

  1. A cleaning schedule states the spot-clean and full-clean frequency for each type of enclosure Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Droppings and wet bedding were spot-cleaned from every enclosure today Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Full bedding changes are initialed on the schedule on the days they were due Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Food bowls and water bottles are washed in a sink that is not used for employee food or dishes Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The disinfectant used on enclosures is the one named in the company care guide Yes / No 1 pt
  6. A measuring cup or dispenser is at the sink so disinfectant is mixed at the label dilution Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Enclosures are rinsed and dried after disinfection before animals go back in Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Animals wait in a clean holding container, never loose, while their enclosure is cleaned Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Scoops and brushes are kept separate for small animals, birds and reptiles, or disinfected between groups Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Employees wash their hands or change gloves when moving from one animal group to another Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Cloths and sponges used on enclosures are laundered or replaced every day Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Soiled bedding is bagged and taken to the dumpster every day Yes / No 1 pt
  13. There is no smell of ammonia in the animal area Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The floor under and behind the enclosure racks is free of spilled bedding, seed and droppings Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The animal care sink and counter are clear of dirty bowls at the time of the visit Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Bedding for store use is stored dry and off the floor Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Cleanliness of the animal area Rating
    • Clean with no odor 5 pts
    • Some enclosures overdue for cleaning 3 pts
    • Dirty enclosures or strong odor 1 pt

5. Records 17 items

  1. The daily care sheets for the last 7 days have no blank days Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The daily care sheet lists every occupied enclosure, including those in the back room Yes / No 1 pt
  3. An animal that left its food untouched since the last feeding is noted on the care sheet Yes / No 1 pt
  4. A change of diet or care ordered by the veterinarian is written on the care sheet of the enclosure concerned Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Animals to watch are passed on to the next shift in the animal care log Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Care sheets for days the store was closed show the feeding and the health check Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Completed care sheets for the last 3 months are filed at the store Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Repair requests for broken enclosures, bottles or heating equipment are logged with the date raised Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Orders of feed, bedding and feeder insects are placed from a par list on a set day each week Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The company care guide kept in the animal care room is the current version Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Animal care points raised at the last district manager visit have been corrected Yes / No 1 pt
  12. A temperature log for the animal area is filled in daily Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The store manager signs the care sheets each week Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Days in the last 7 with a feeding or health check not initialed Number
  15. Occupied enclosures missing from today's care sheet Number
  16. Date of the last district manager review of the care sheets Date
  17. Completeness of animal care records Rating
    • Complete and signed 5 pts
    • Kept with gaps 3 pts
    • Missing or not kept 1 pt

6. Isolation 19 items

  1. The store has an isolation room or area that customers cannot enter Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Isolation enclosures are not stacked above or beside enclosures of animals for sale Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Each isolated animal has a card stating the date isolated, the signs seen and the treatment Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Isolated animals are fed and cleaned last, after the healthy animals Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Bowls, scoops and cloths marked for isolation use stay in the isolation area Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The door of the isolation room is kept closed Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Arrivals from a different vendor are held apart for the period set by company policy before being mixed Yes / No 1 pt
  8. An animal showing signs of illness is taken off the sales floor the same day Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Animals returned by customers go through isolation before they are offered for sale again Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Isolation enclosures have the same heat, light and shelter as sale enclosures for the species Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Isolated animals are checked at least twice a day and each check is recorded Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Release from isolation is authorized by the veterinarian or the animal care lead and noted on the card Yes / No 1 pt
  13. An isolation enclosure is disinfected and left empty for the time set by company policy between occupants Yes / No 1 pt
  14. A sanitizer dispenser or handwashing sink is at the exit of the isolation area Yes / No 1 pt
  15. A suspected contagious disease (ringworm, psittacosis) is reported to the district manager the same day Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Animals in isolation at the time of the visit Number
  17. Name of the animal care lead Short text
  18. Overall standard of live animal care Rating
    • Standards met in every section 5 pts
    • Lapses in one or two sections 3 pts
    • Lapses in most sections 1 pt
  19. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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