Pets in Retail Food Outlets: A Literature Review

The presence of service animals in restaurants as allowed under the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, coupled with the resurging popularity of tea cup dogs and portable exotic pets, raises questions about the environmental health and safety implications of animals in patronage areas within retail food outlets. To provide the evidence base for informed policy and practice, the authors conducted a search of public health journals and medical publications with the aim to aggregate and summarize literature germane to this issue. A range of potential zoonotic diseases was identified among common household pets, including those that are parasitic, bacterial, and viral in origin.  At the same time, the relative risk associated with specific pet-human interactions has yet to be established in a clear and consistent manner. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported approximately 100 disease outbreaks involving animals in public settings for the time period of 1996-2008, though most were rooted in petting zoos. Existing literature largely failed to recognize the potential significance of aeroallergens, which the authors believe may present the single most significant animal-related risk to the dining public.  Public policy developers should consider vulnerable populations such as children, pregnant women and their fetuses, asthmatics, and the immune-compromised.  Preventive measures and best practices include signage, installation and maintenance of suitable building materials, adherence to applicable ventilation standards, staff training and hygiene, and aggressive animal management systems.  There is a paucity of published scientific literature directly related to risk factors associated with animals in restaurant seating areas. Environmental health professionals are encouraged to stay abreast of emerging literature related to the hospitality industry.