[Nyagdu] Fw: [nagdu] Food inspectors hope to crack down on pets brought into stores & restaurants

[Margo and Arrow]

----- 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 9:50 AM
Subject: [nagdu] Food inspectors hope to crack down on pets brought into 
stores & 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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