If you yak on your cat, what's the best way to clean it and avoid norovirus transmission?
Amy has covered what to do if a student pukes in class; Ben and Mayra have made up a groovy infosheet on cleaning procedures.
But what if you yak on your cat or dog?
Specifically, as Scott Weese asks at the Worms & Germs Blog, when he should be enjoying turkey in Guelph, how do you disinfect a cat?
Weese explains how a colleague’s wife once had norovirus and spewed on the family cat, and says, dogs and cats cannot become infected with norovirus. However, they could act as a source of infection is their coat was contaminated.
Weese figures a bath is the best way to go (not the oven, right) and that anyone bathing a heavily contaminated animal should wear a mask and gloves, change their clothes after, clean any contaminated surfaces with bleach or another disinfectant and wash their hands.
He also concludes that the easiest way to handle this is to avoid vomiting on pets.
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Pets and Service Dogs in grocery stores; the line must be drawn
I am constantly annoyed with pet owners that take their little dogs to the store, especially the grocery store. Oregon is too. The state Department of Agriculture started a public awareness campaign last month reminding Oregonians that it's illegal for dogs to enter grocery stores - unless it's a service dog. Stores like Bed, Bath & Beyond and Home Depot aren’t good places to be bringing your pet, but there can be legal consequences in stores and restaurants that serve food.
There have been some arguments made for and against patrons bringing pets to stores. Some say their personal pets are like “children” to them, as if they are another family member, but bringing pets into stores is not a good idea for public safety in a microbiological sense and also a physical sense. I hate tripping over toddlers at Walmart, and I don’t want to add tripping on leashes or small dogs to this problem.
By law, grocery stores must allow service dogs into grocery stores. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, business owners may ask if an animal 
is for service, yet they cannot require a customer to show certification or other proof that an animal is certified. In fact, legitimate service animals aren't always certified. (For more information on the law, call 1-800-514-0301.) A quick search on Google brought up Service Animal IDs for $30, no verification paperwork needed. This ID doesn’t classify the animal as a service animal, but most people aren’t able to tell the difference between the real thing and phonies. IDs such as this one could allow anyone to bring a pet into a store selling food, and most likely store managers wouldn’t do a thing about it.
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Separating the true service dogs from the personal pets makes it hard for those that rely on their service animals for help with a disability. The ADA defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government.
Most people think of service dogs as performing functions such as leading the blind and opening doors, but they are also psychiatric service dogs that help people with psychological problems. Unfortunately there is where the lines become very grey. Assistance Dogs International has three categories: guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired, hearing dogs for the deaf and hard of hearing and service dogs for people with disabilities other than those related to vision or hearing. Service dogs may be needed by people with disabilities that are not visible and perform activities such as alerting of oncoming seizures or a variety of psychiatric disabilities. While grocery store owners are allowed to ask if an animal is a service animal or pet, they are not allowed to ask what their disability is (if not visible).
This issue spins round and round. Untrained animals shouldn’t be brought into areas of food. But disabled people need service animals present to help with disabilities. But pets may not be able to be distinguished from service animals, and patrons may abuse the fact that the store owner can’t ask what their disability is. But the store owner has a right to exclude pets from areas with food for sale.
The long and the short of it is, there isn’t a federal regulatory agency that dictates how these animals are certified as service dogs. Even if we did have the regulatory agency, would that ensure resolution of all the service animal disputes? Of course not, just as the existence of the FDA and USDA doesn’t ensure the 100% safety of our food supply.
Dirty doggie dining in Manhattan, Kansas
When I first opened the Kansas State Collegian yesterday morning, the following headline popped out: “Green, pet-friendly bar opens in Aggieville.” The story started:.jpg)
“Tail wagging, mouth drooling, riled up with excitement stands Tank the dog, welcoming bar patrons this Saturday to the newly renovated the Loft Bar and Grill.”
“We will be having many different types of animals outside the Loft — dogs, goats and even miniature Clydesdales.” Jacobson said. “Our bar is very pet-friendly.”
Actually, the Kansas Food Code prohibits animals on food establishments, unless they are assistance animals, according to code reference 6-501.115 found here.
Did
The local health department inspectors would consider bringing pets to a restaurant a critical violation. Last year, Tanks Tavern, also in Aggieville, was cited two critical violations including: “live dog in bar and dog food stored under sink.”
As Amy and Doug wrote, “tripping, biting, dog fights, barking, allergies, and the transfer of dangerous microorganisms such as E. coli, salmonella and cryptosporidium” are some of the risks that come along with doggie dining.
Restaurants in Florida can apply for permits to allow dogs on their patio, if they meet certain conditions. Employees must not touch pets while handling food, and if they do, they must wash their hands. Customers should also wash their hands before eating and keep their pets off tables, chairs, and tables.
As far as I know, we are still in Kansas, where doggie dining is clearly prohibited.
These are my puppies:
Bicycle and dog-friendly drive-through
Sadie (right) is an energetic dog. We found her as a 10-week-old pup, hiding underneath our vehicle, shortly after Amy and I moved into our Kansas compound in downtown Manhattan.
It happens, with the transient population of military and students, dogs, unfortunately, are abandoned routinely.
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We followed procedure, ran ‘dog-found’ ads in the local paper, but no one claimed her. So we took her in.
I had a couple of Australian Shepherd-type-mutts back in Guelph (below, left), so was prepared for the, uh, high energy of Sadie. Which means she learned to run beside my bicycle. Quickly.
Sadie and I will sometimes bike to the grocery store in the morning and stock up for dinner, sometimes we’ll just bike, although we’re both moving a little slower 3 years later.
But the best is when we go to the bank.
Kansas State Bank has drive-through banking. My Canadian daughters still marvel at this when they visit. I still get paper cheques for this and that, so every couple of weeks, Sadie and I will bike to the drive-through bank. I’ll make a deposit using the pneumonic tubes, and the teller will send back a treat for Sadie, along with a deposit slip.
Oregon seems to be just figuring this out.
A couple of weeks ago, the state announced plans to crackdown on doggies in grocery stores. The N.Y. Times reported this as news this morning.
But the Los Angeles Times got it right. Kate Linthicum reported this morning that when Sarah Gilbert, a cyclist in Portland, Oregon, tried to order four cheeseburgers for her family at a Burgerville drive-through, she was denied.
Gilbert, a freelance blogger with thousands of online followers, went home and Twittered huffily about the experience ("burgerville on 26th/ powell turned me on my bike away from drivethrough. and not nicely at all."), and penned an open letter to Burgerville calling for more bike-friendly policies.
Many chain restaurants across America do not serve bicyclists at their drive-throughs, said Jeff Mapes, a Portland journalist who has written a book about bike culture. "In a lot of cities it doesn't make much of a splash at all," he said. "But here, it's a cause celebre."
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Jonathan Maus, who publishes a blog called bikeportland.org said, "They expect a business to treat them the same whether they come in a car or on a bike."
Advocates have successfully persuaded many local businesses to include bicycle parking, he said. Persuading banks, pharmacies, fast-food chains and other businesses with drive-throughs to serve bicyclists is the next step.
Which is why Gilbert's complaints struck a nerve. There was talk of a boycott. The story was picked up by local news outlets. Finally, Burgerville yielded. The chain apologized to Gilbert (it said it had no formal policy dictating how -- or where -- bicyclists could be served) and announced that it would henceforth welcome cyclists at all of its 39 drive-through locations in Oregon and Washington.
Sadie would approve.
Did Maple Leaf's listeria hot dogs sicken a dog?
It’s one thing to sicken and kill humans with food like Maple Leaf cold cuts – just don’t mess with people’s pets.
Carrie Pich of Windsor, Ontario, (right, photo from Windsor Star) is convinced her beloved Tigger -- a two-year-old yellow Labrador retriever -- fell ill over the weekend because he ate Maple Leaf hotdogs that might be tainted with bacteria.
"This could have been a human. I mean, (Tigger) is human to us. But it could've happened to you. My husband could've ate two. He loves hotdogs."
Pich said she bought three packages of hotdogs last week: two packs of Maple Leaf Original Wieners and one pack of Shopsy's Deli-Fresh.
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Both products are among those listed in the recall.
But Pich didn't know that on the evening of July 31, when she cut up three Maple Leaf Original Wieners to put in Tigger's supper, and gave him one more as a late-night treat.
On Saturday morning, Pich woke to find Tigger vomiting blood.
Dr. Ameer Ebrahim, the owner and veterinarian at Cabana @ Howard Pet Hospital said he can't confirm that Tigger suffered from listeriosis, but the dog's symptoms were "very consistent" with bacterial infection, and he wouldn't rule out a connection with the recalled wieners eaten by Tigger.
"That's a very strong coincidence.”
Wienermobile enters home, wasn't invited
Although it’s National Hot Dog month, it’s been a lousy couple of weeks for Oscar Mayer.
On July 7, 2009, Oscar G. Mayer, retired chairman of the Wisconsin-based meat processing company that bears his name, died at the age of 95.
He was the third Oscar Mayer in the family that founded Oscar Mayer Foods, which was once the largest private employer in Madison. His grandfather, Oscar F. Mayer, died in 1955 and his father, Oscar G. Mayer Sr., died in 1965.
Mayer retired as chairman of the board in 1977 at age 62 soon after the company recorded its first $1 billion year. The company was later sold to General Foods and is now a business unit of Kraft.
Besides the actual hot dogs, Oscar Mayer is well-known for its Wienermobile. Amy saw it once on the back roads of Missouri. My kids had the plastic replicas (thanks, John).
Yesterday, Wienermobile was turning around in a Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, driveway, about 35 miles south of Milwaukee. The driver thought her wiener was in reverse but it was in drive. No one was home and no one was injured. No citations were immediately issued.
KATIE FILLION: Peanut paste potentially poisons pooch
An elderly dog in Atlanta, Georgia has passed on following consumption of Austin-brand peanut butter crackers recalled during the current Salmonella outbreak.
The outbreak, linked to Peanut Corp. of America’s peanut paste and related products, is responsible for at least seven (human) deaths, nearly 500 illnesses (over 100 of which have been hospitalized), and reported illness in pets.
Atlanta Dogs Examiner reports the dog, Ozzie, ate Austin brand peanut butter crackers a few days before their recall was announced.
Like some other pet owners, Bert Kanist of Atlanta gave his dogs human food as treats, and his dog Ozzie loved peanut butter crackers. He ate two packages of them, became ill the next day, and succumbed to the illness within 24 hours.
Now Mr. Kanist reports that he's getting the run-around from both government agencies and from Kellogg’s, the owner of Austin brands. Because his dog's body was cremated, a necropsy can't be performed, but testing for the presence of salmonella is being done on peanut butter crackers from the same case as the one the suspect crackers were from.
Dog treats are included in the recall, and a full list of recalled products is available on the FDA website at: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/Salmonellatyph.html.
Is Salmonella-laced peanut stuff making dogs barf?
When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned on Saturday that Americans should "postpone" eating cookies, crackers, candy and ice cream that contain peanut butter or peanut paste, they didn’t mention anything about America’s pets.
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They should have.
Yesterday, PetSmart Inc, the largest U.S. pet-products and services retailer, recalled seven of its Grreat Choice Dog Biscuit products as a precaution against possible salmonella contamination because the peanut paste was produced by the Peanut Corp of America (PCA).
I told Georgia’s Gainesville Times this morning that the latest outbreak shows that food companies need to look closer at the operations of their suppliers.
"It’s where you get your food from. Whether you get it from around the corner or around the globe, you’ve got to know your suppliers. And it seems they supplied to a lot."
As of Jan. 20, 2009, 485 people were sick with Salmonella Typhimurium in 43 states.
Dog treats continue to sicken in U.S., Australia
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to caution consumers of a potential association between the development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products also described as chicken tenders, strips or treats.
FDA continues to receive complaints of dogs experiencing illness that their owners or veterinarians associate with consumption of chicken jerky products. The chicken jerky products are imported to the U.S. from China. FDA issued a cautionary warning to consumers in September 2007.
Australian news organizations report the University of Sydney is also investigating an association between illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky in Australia. At least one firm in Australia has recalled their chicken jerky product and the recall notification stated the chicken jerky product was manufactured in China.
FDA believes the continued trend of consumer complaints coupled with the information obtained from Australia warrants an additional reminder and animal health notification.
Chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are intended to be used occasionally and in small quantities. Owners of small dogs must be especially careful to limit the amount of these products. … FDA has conducted extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified any contaminant.
Dane Cook and his pooping dog give up apartment
TMZ reports that Dane Cook has given up his fight to live in what he believes is an apartment that has a supernatural force.
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“Cook was evicted from a West Hollywood apartment last August after a jury decided the "comedian" habitually violated the rules requiring him to pick up his dog's crap.
“As reported yesterday, Cook threw a Hail Mary at the judge, arguing that hizzoner should block the eviction because the apartment building had almost paranormal qualities -- John Belushi and Steve Martin both lived there, and Cook believed if he moved out his creative juices stop flowing and a bad case of writer's block would ruin his career. Did anyone see "Employee of the Month?"
Cook has apparently abandoned the appeal.
Dog poop contains common pathogens such as tapeworms, roundworms, cryptosporidium, salmonella, E.coli, and many others. Owners, clean up after your dogs and wash your damn hands.
It’s gotten so bad that the Israeli city of Petah Tikva, a suburb of Tel Aviv, has started a six-month trial program where it is matching the DNA of dog poop, either in special containers or found on the street, to a database of registered dogs and their owners.
“Owners who scoop up their dogs' droppings and place them in specially marked bins on Petah Tikva's streets will be eligible for rewards of pet food coupons and dog toys.
“But droppings found underfoot in the street and matched through the DNA database to a registered pet could earn its owner a municipal fine.”
Doug Powell and Randy Phebus talk Salmonella in dog food
Or we try too. Look, we’re not the most photogenic, or brief, but there’s some decent info and pretty pictures of dogs.
Certain lots of Pedigree dog food and other pet food have been recalled after it was discovered that Salmonella could be present in the product. So here’s some considerations to prevent spreading Salmonella around your home if you have a pet or contaminated food and treats.
Pedigree pet food and pregnancy: Managing cross-contamination risks at home
I am now 6 ½ months pregnant and still somewhat peacefully coexisting with our four pets. But pregnancy has meant giving special attention to handwashing and avoiding cross-contamination.
Although I thought I was being overly cautious, on Sept. 13 Pedigree small crunchy bites and Pedigree large breed complete nutrition dry pet food products were recalled due to possible Salmonella contamination (see http://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2008/09/articles/animals/dogs/pet-food-recall-salmonella/). This appears to be the same food we feed our dogs and I know one of them was throwing up outside yesterday. Of course … she also likes to eat grass and other vomitous materials.
In addition to pet food which may contain pathogens, I pay close attention to the handling of dog treats which have been found problematic in the past. Our dogs have been getting their fill of bones lately because we haven’t had the usual time and energy to devote to their exercise. I try to avoid touching the dog bones when I take them out of the package and I wash the scissors I use to cut the packages open. I always wash my hands afterwards.
It really isn’t easy to think about washing hands every time you feed and pet the dogs, but the following are things I am trying to do to keep me and my future baby safe:
- regularly wash the dog dishes
- wash my hands every time I fill the dog water and food bowls (the dogs eat and drink, spreading any microbes from one bowl to the next)
- wash my hands after opening treats and/or giving them to the dogs
- wash the scissors after opening treat bags
- wash my hands after playing with the pets
- avoid letting the dogs lick my face of hands
- wipe down the counter where pet treats have touched
These steps are all much more difficult for me than they sound. I’m usually very playful and affectionate with my pets, even though I no longer allow the dogs on the bed or couch. It’s also very difficult to think about handwashing when you are out on a walk with the dogs and give them treats as part of a training process. In those cases I just remind myself not to touch my face or use a wet wipe when I have one handy.
I am still learning after years of taking it for granted that my dogs’ food was safe. Food safety, even for pets, is not simple.
For human symptoms of salmonella poisoning, check out http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/2008/06/articles/salmonella/salmonella-symptoms/
According to an article in the North Country Gazette (April 3, 2007) related to a past pet food recall:
Pets with salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Apparently well animals can be a carrier and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
Setting Boundaries: Pets and your newborn baby
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My ex mother-in-law once told me that if I had a baby I would have to get rid of my cats. I replied, “No cats, no baby.” My step-brother's cats mysteriously disappeared once his firstborn was old enough to crawl. Doug and I have two cats and two dogs and no intention of giving them up or sending them outdoors once the baby arrives. Sure, there’s dog hair all over the floors and it’s going to be a hassle learning to manage new and old responsibilities – and much more difficult to keep pet hair out of the baby’s mouth once she’s mobile. But we committed to the pets long ago and have been working on teaching them their order in the home. The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, recommends that the dogs not even be allowed near the baby’s belongings at first to teach them that Baby is Alpha. Let them sniff at a distance until they know their place. When the dogs go for a walk, it should be behind the stroller, and they shouldn’t get unsupervised visitation, if they are allowed at all, in the baby’s room. It’s all about setting boundaries.
The Worms and Germs Blog by Doug’s ex-hockey buddy Scott Weese (he’s still a buddy but no hockey for Doug in Manhattan) recommends in “Old pet, new baby...new problems?” that we visit our veterinarian and the humane society to get advice on introducing the dogs and cats to the baby. Scott provides relevant downloadable pamphlets from the Calgary Humane Society in his blog post.
We want all four pets and the three of us to survive the transition without nips, scratches, or territory marking. We get enough of that from our friends and colleagues.
It's summertime and dirty dog is on the menu in Seoul
From July 15 to 18, 2008 Seoul City has conducted a four-day intensive inspection on the restaurants selling dog meat.
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The inspection by the city was done for the first time since 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics when most dog meat restaurants in the capital were forced to close or to move out of the city.The spokesperson of the Seoul city, however, said that the control over the dog meat restaurant is far from approval of dog meat.
Koreans are known to enjoy dog meats particularly during the sweltering summer days. In Seoul area alone there are some 6,000 restaurants selling dog meat.
Annually 2 million dogs are butchered for the human consumption in South Korea.
Michelle Mazur: Cloning pets not for me
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BioArts International is behind a project called Best Friends Again where they’ve developed a commercial method to clone dogs. They’ve launched a “Golden Clone Giveaway,” in which owners send in a 500-word essay about why their dog would be the best dog to be cloned. The winner will be chosen June 30th, and their pet will be cloned for free.I work at a local vet clinic in Wichita, Kansas, and most clients I talk with say they would be delighted to have the chance to clone their beloved dog. Not me. Cloned pets can come with a ton of medical problems, and there’s a pretty good chance that they won’t have the same personality at the original dog. There’s no guarantee that cloned Fluffy will be as good as original Fluffy, and may leave an even larger hole in the owner’s heart. I can’t imagine going through the heartbreak of cloning my dog, Joey. Yes, I said heartbreak.
Joey is a six-year-old West Highland white terrier. This breed is well known for being prone to allergies, however Joey is completely without. He is incredibly healthy and happy; I really couldn’t ask for a better dog. But once he passes away, I plan to act like a normal person and cope with my grief. Coping will not include sending a DNA sample to Best Friends Again in California. Most likely, I would be sent a rambunctious little devil that bears no similarities to Joey, other than physical appearance. This terror dog will quickly ruin any memories of Joey that I had.
I can’t imagine a more perfect dog to be cloned than Joey, but I’ll save my money and tears and instead adopt one of the many thousands of dogs at animals shelters all across the nation.
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Nip/tuck -- doggy style
Now, for the first time, liposuction is available outside Germany at the University of Sydney's new $2.3 million Canine Teaching Hospital, which opened last week.
The university's associate professor in small animal surgery, Geraldine Hunt, introduced the technology here two years ago, and has so far performed the procedure, which can cost about $2000, on 15 dogs.However, Dr Hunt urged owners to review their pets' exercise and diet regime before considering any surgical procedures.
"I would have to be very careful about whether to recommend it for cosmetic reasons. It is much more responsible to look at what is in the best interests of the dog."
The story also says that owners were asking for testicular implants for their pooches, most often so they could compete in dog shows, be exported for sale overseas or to negate a prostate problem.
But, occasionally, people requested the $400 procedure — which excludes the cost of the implants in small, medium and large — for the sake of appearances.
Randwick Veterinary Hospital's Andrew Herron said,
"I would definitely be counselling these people that this is a cosmetic procedure and they'd have to give me a pretty good reason to do it. If it was to show off down the park, I'd probably suggest I take them from him and put his in the dog."
Dog stew linked to salmonella; Korea asks, should dog meat be regulated?
But dog meat has recently been linked to a spate of salmonella and staph infections, drawing the attention of authorities -- and bringing a long-simmering cultural dispute to a boil.Though dog meat is officially banned in Seoul, enforcement is lax. It is served by an unsupervised industry of small farmers, butchers and mom-and-pop restaurants.
In March, Seoul's food-safety office tied some salmonella cases to dog meat. Concerned, officials proposed designating dogs as "livestock," which would subject the meat to rules on sanitation. While there's no timetable for a final decision, the agency is now making a formal survey of handling methods at restaurants known to serve dog.
People in the dog-meat industry worry their costs will rise under new regulations, weakening demand and tightening the squeeze on a business that's already got an image problem.
Outside the capital, there are no restrictions on dog meat. A large outdoor market in the suburb of Moran, 20 miles south of central Seoul, is one of the centers of the trade in South Korea. About a dozen butchers line a row at the market, with a shop that sells herbs and spices for the stew at the end. The smell of butane, used to fuel burners to remove fur from dog carcasses, hangs over the market. Some butchers also sell goat, goose and chicken.
This in the country that is being gripped by Internet-fueled rumors about the safety of U.S. beef.
Our dog, Sadie, who likes to sit propped up, objects.
Rabies outbreak in Toronto
Toronto health officials said the eight-week-old border collie, which has died, was from a group of 12 puppies at the market. The other 11 dogs are under quarantine.The mother of the border collie, from a farm in Eastern Ontario, has also died after contacting the virus from a rabid skunk.
Howard Shapiro, associate medical officer of health at Toronto Public Health, said at least 80 Toronto-area people, who came in contact with the animals, have had to get rabies shots. More than 900 people have contacted a hotline set up since the disease was found in one of the animals.
Don't let your dog poop on this lawn
And it gets better. Mentalfloss reports on what it calls a rather aggressive warning sign for dog walkers in Sarasota and the potential risks of crapping on this particular lawn.The scoop on poop
Swansea Council in Wales has bought 600,000 specially designed poop scoop bags which pet owners can use to dispose of their pet's waste when out walking.The Council says dog owners are more than welcome to use designated beaches all along the peninsula but they want them to use the scoops and help keep beaches clean for everyone.
Dog owners risk fines of up to a thousand pounds if they fail to clear up after their pet.
Riding in Cars
Doug and I just returned from a 10-day road trip to Florida and back to Kansas with three of his teenage girls. The journey to Florida was reasonably broken up into segments and we chose towns, hotels, and restaurants that would accommodate our diverse interests and needs. On the trip back we started talking about the next time we do this trip, when it’s just the two of us, we can drive down with our two dogs and rent a house near a beach on the Gulf somewhere.
When I read yesterday’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch story, “City aldermen loosen leash on dogs dining at restaurants” in FSnet, I added St. Louis to the list of places we can stop on that next trip. Taking a road trip with dogs, like kids, means special consideration about where and how long to stop, and what kinds of towns, hotels, and restaurants we patronize – especially in the summer when it is dangerous to leave the puppies in the car. Cities committed to rules for safe doggy dining make it easier for us to keep our dogs safe while we dine on the road.
Doggy Dining
Pictured: Restaurant in Nîmes, FranceIn France dining with your dog is a part of every day life. Dogs go in restaurants, grocery stores, and even on trains with their owners. The other night at dinner at a table next to us, a couple sat with their ‘tween son and a tiny doggy that they passed from person to person until the food came. Then he was expected to sit calmly under the chair. He started yelping quickly afterwards when a very big dog came wondering around the restaurant’s terrace looking for handouts (see above photo).
We are the owners of two dogs and two cats who live with us in Kansas. Our lives would be more convenient if we could live like the French and both walk our dogs and sit in restaurants with them on the patio. We used to be able to do this at one of our favorite restaurants in Manhattan, but the management there recently changed and they told us we would have to attach the dogs on the outside of the railing rather than have them at the table with us. They even brought us cups of water for the pooches so they wouldn’t get too hot. Sadie, who was a puppy at the time, dug up their herb garden, and we decided we’d better leave.
Around the same time that rule changed last fall, a reporter called Doug and asked what he thought about the doggy dining laws in Florida. My reaction was that I would frequent a restaurant that allowed me to bring my dog, but if I were a restaurant owner, I would not allow dogs on the patio. Beyond the liability issues of “What if a customer’s dog bit one of my staff or other clients?” I see people do all sorts of strange things with their pets. I confess, I too am guilty of letting my dog lick my plate, but some people even share their food while they’re eating it. As a restaurant owner, knowing I am liable if someone gets sick in my restaurant, and knowing that dogs do often eat poop and live to …err.. tell about it, I wouldn’t trust that a customer wouldn’t sue me for their E. coli poisoning if they got sick from their dog’s germs. The U.S. has strict liability laws when it comes to food safety. If I served the food with poop, I’d be hard pressed to prove where it came from.
