Whitt Steineker Quoted in Axios on FDA Guidance on Dogs and Outdoor Dining

Bradley attorney Whitt Steineker was quoted in Axios on recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance that dogs can be permitted in restaurants’ outdoor seating areas if state, local and the restaurant policies allow it.

Although pets are generally not permitted indoors or anywhere that food is prepared, Steineker said, “This was the FDA’s effort to suggest that there’s not a concern about overall food sanitation and safety if you have a pet dog in an outdoor area.”

The FDA updated their guidelines to permit pets to sit in outdoor restaurant seating, however, the restaurant has the ultimate say in whether animals are allowed to dine in their outdoor areas.

“This isn’t the FDA saying that restaurants ‘must’ do something or that they ‘cannot’ do something, because it is still the restaurant’s decision,” Steineker explained.

The full article, “Your dog can join you for outdoor dining, FDA says,” was published by Axios on April 25, 2023.