Health department rules on dogs in restaurants

By Chris Thomson

December 24, 2009 — 6.28am

The WA Health Department has stepped in to douse claims that pet dogs will be banned from al fresco dining areas across the state.

A Departmental spokeswoman said yesterday that new Food Regulations introduced in September do not ban dogs from al fresco meal areas.

Latte-loving pooches are back in business after Health Department quashes rumoured cafe pet ban.

The spokeswoman said the new regulations merely continued laws originally proclaimed in 1911 to restrict animals in areas where food was handled.

The confusion began in November when the City of Bayswater first issued warnings to dog owners whose pets were accompanying them to Maylands' Eighth Avenue strip.

At the time, Bayswater mayor Terry Kenyon said he was compelled to take action under the new regulations.

But in response to a less hard-line response by the City of Fremantle - whose South Terrace cafe strip is the most popular in WA - Cr Kenyon now says his city will write to the Health Department to seek clarification.

Cr Kenyon said the initial warnings were made after complaints were received from "about four" Maylands residents offended by dogs who accompanied their owners at the suburb's al fresco cafes.

Fremantle council has said a total canine ban is not warranted in such areas, and a "common sense", "risk-based" approach is available under the new regulations.

"The consensus of opinion among environmental health managers within the metropolitan region is that there's scope within the food act legislation to deal with this issue based on risk," Fremantle Environmental Health Coordinator Matthew Piggott said.

"I do not believe that a dog sitting quietly under a table on a public footpath has a negative impact on human health.

"It is certainly appropriate to investigate complaints and take action if dogs are eating off plates or going to the toilet in alfresco areas - that is unacceptable from a public health perspective."

It is certainly appropriate to investigate complaints and take action if dogs are eating off plates or going to the toilet in alfresco areas.

The Health Department spokeswoman said the new regulations allowed for a risk management approach similar to that adopted by Fremantle.

The WA president of a professional association that has 180 health inspector members across the state confirmed this.

"People are taking it a bit out of context," WA President of Environmental Health Australia, Joseph Zappavigna, said of the assumed dog ban.

"Nothing's really changed. It's just that the dog owners have picked up on the latest amendments which were aimed at making the legislation consistent with other states and territories."

But Mr Zappavigna said cafe staff needed to wash their hands immediately after patting dogs, to avoid the transmission of parasites.

"The less animals in food premises, the less chance of disease," he said.

"There's quite a few parasites that are hosted by dogs.

"Parasites are invisible to the naked eye and you won't know (if you're infected) until it's too late."

Mr Zappavigna also warned the risk of canine hair blowing into diners' food was heightened when humans ate close to dogs.