[nagdu] Food inspectors hope to crack down on pets brought intostores & restaurants

[Lyn Gwizdak]

Alot of this problem would have been avoided if the ADA was clear with what 
a service dog was from the beginning - 20 years ago!  Now we are stuck with 
a 20 year long problem and we will have problems.  Hope the Oregon folks are 
teaching the businesses there about the ADA change so the managers are more 
clear in what is allowed in and what is not.

It is a shame that so many pet owners are bringing in their pets and pawning 
them off as "service dogs" - this really hurts our own access with our guide 
dogs.

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ginger Kutsch" <GingerKutsch at yahoo.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2011 6:50 AM
Subject: [nagdu] Food inspectors hope to crack down on pets brought 
intostores & restaurants


> Food inspectors hope to crack down on pets brought into stores & 
> restaurants
>
>
> (Chris McKee, KMTR-TV)  Reported by: Chris McKee
>
> Email: chrismckee at kmtr.com
>
> 10/042011
>
> http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story/Food-inspectors-hope-to-crack-down-on-p
> ets/tSWqWwc2FkKSJEN6uMsIPw.cspx
>
>
>
> EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) -- A plea for local store owners and managers who say
> people shopping with their pets is becoming a huge problem and a health
> hazard, now the state is stepping in to help and get the word out.
>
> The Oregon Department Agriculture says animals in stores and restaurants
> continue to be the number one complaint it gets related to food safety.
>
>
>
> Oregon food code, which is based on the FDA's guidelines, says pets are
> barred from entering any food establishment like grocery stores and
> restaurants in Oregon because of concerns about germs.
>
>
>
> But businesses says people are either ignoring that rule or abusing it by
> lying and knowing that managers cannot ask for medical records or proof.
>
>
>
> The Department of Agriculture says its heard complaints about pets leaving
> urine and feces on the floor, jumping on meat racks or sniffing food
> packages on the shelves.
>
>
>
> At the Fred Meyer on West Eleventh Avenue in Eugene, managers say they've
> seen iguanas, birds and cats come into the store, as their owners claim 
> they
> are service animals. They deal with the problem several times a week,
> according to store management.
>
>
>
> The state and store managers say many customers also misunderstand the
> definition of service animals.
>
>
>
> "Ask them if it's a service animal or not and they explain to me that 
> maybe
> it's a therapy animal or one that provides emotional support, and I'll ask
> them to remove the animal.. and as you can imagine it can create quite a
> scene it's a very difficult situation for myself and my employees," says 
> Bob
> Winner, Store Director at the W11th. Ave. Fred Meyer.
>
>
>
> Winner says because of the liability the store has if it were to kick out
> someone with service animal that they thought was a pet, each case has to 
> be
> handled by a store manager. More than 200 people work at the W11th Fred
> Meyer.
>
>
>
> The state is hoping to make things easier now, too.
>
>
>
> As of March 2011, the U.S. Department of Justice legally defined service
> animals as dogs only. Those dogs must directly help with a person's
> disability as well. Emotional and therapy animals do not meet those
> guidelines.
>
>
>
> "Those laws are put into place to protect people with disabilities, and 
> you
> know what we'd really like to see is those people just bringing into pets 
> if
> they could leave the pets at home.. Just out of respect for the store and
> the sanitation issues, that would be great," said Susan Kendrick, a Food
> Safety Specialist for the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
>
>
>
> Over the next few months , the Ag Department will launch a new public
> outreach campaign with new flyers and posters.
>
>
>
> Legally, stores are able to ask people two questions about animals that 
> are
> brought into stores. The first question, "is the animal a service animal?"
> Second, "what work or task has the animal been trained to perform?"
>
>
>
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