Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Atlantans love their pets, and now it’s even easier to take Fido to food establishments.
Effective Nov. 1, food service regulations established by the Georgia Department of Public Health have lightened up with regard to dogs. Now, dogs are allowed within outdoor dining areas as long as those are accessible from the outdoors. The new regulation is applicable to the entire state of Georgia, with the exception of Fulton County.
Until now, pet dogs had to be retained outside seating areas. The new regulation allows pet dogs to come inside dining areas, but those areas must be accessible from the street as opposed to walking the dog through the interior of a restaurant, explained Nancy Nydam, spokesperson for Georgia Department of Public Health. Nydam noted that such requirements did not apply to service animals.
The new food service regulations regarding pet dogs are below, and can also be found on the Georgia Department of Public Health website. They are entitled, "New Food Service Rules and Regulations (511-6-1)." The pet dogs provisions can be found on page 127 of Chapter 511-6-1.
Pet dogs may be allowed in outside dining areas of a food service establishment that are accessed from the outside of the establishment under the following conditions:
The food service establishment prepares written procedures that include:
- A diagram of the outdoor area to be designated as available to consumers with pet dogs;
- The establishment’s procedure for assuring that employees do not touch, pet or otherwise handle pet dogs and for immediately cleaning accidents involving dog waste. The procedure must also describe the location of materials and equipment necessary to clean up accidents involving dog waste; and
- The establishment’s procedure for notifying employees and consumers of the requirements of this paragraph.
- Pet dogs may not come into contact with serving dishes, utensils and tableware. Pet dogs are also not allowed on chairs, tables and other furnishings.
- Employees and consumers may not provide food to pet dogs.
- Pet dogs must be on a leash and under control of the consumer at all times.
- At no time may pet dogs be permitted to travel through the indoor or non-designated outdoor portions of the food establishment.
Editor's note: This story was updated Nov. 23, 2015 at 11 a.m. with information about where the new food service regulations are posted on the Georgia Department of Public Health website. The post was also updated Nov. 23, 2015 at 6 p.m. to reflect that the new food service regulations applied to the entire state of Georgia with the exception of Fulton County.
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