JACKSON – Beginning Friday, Nov. 1, a new Mississippi State Department of Health policy allows restaurant patrons to dine with their pet dogs under certain conditions.
Under the new policy, the restaurant must have a separate outside entrance into a designated outdoor dog-friendly area that includes proper signage defining the area. Pet dogs are not permitted to travel through indoor or non-designated outdoor portions of the restaurant. Service dogs are allowed indoors in customer areas. Disposable dishes and utensils are required in the dog-friendly area and pet dogs must not come into contact with serving dishes, utensils, tableware, linens or any other items involved in food service operations. Patrons are always required to keep their dogs on leash and under control and restaurant employees may not touch or handle the pet dog.
The restaurant or food facility can deny service if the pet owner fails to exercise reasonable control over the pet dog, or if it behaves in a manner that compromises the health or safety of any person in the restaurant. Additionally, failure to comply with the policy could result in a lower inspection grade for the facility as well as a revocation of the dog-friendly variance.
To read the details of the new policy or to download a variance application to allow dogs at your restaurant, visit HealthyMS.com/doggiedining.
