Doggie days? Outdoor dining in Kane County may allow for furry friends this summer

The dog days of summer may feature more pooches at outdoor dining establishments in Kane County this year after a committee of county board members signaled this week they favor creating an official county health policy to allow people to bring their pets to restaurant patios.

Federal Food and Drug Administration policy prohibits animals inside dining establishments. The policy cites problems with allergies, hygiene and fear of animals as reasons for the ban. There is an existing exemption for service animals.

The growing popularity of outdoor dining that came with the COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed a push to allow pets on the patio portions of restaurants. FDA regulations didn’t specifically address animals in outdoor dining until an exemption created this past December.

According to Kane County officials, the Illinois Department of Public Health will adopt those changes, but they won’t become official in Illinois until the middle of 2024 -- after the upcoming outdoor dining season.

Knowing the change is in the works, Michael Isaacson, Kane County’s executive director for public health, asked the county board’s public health committee this week if members were interested in creating an official path for county dining establishments to apply for a variance to the outdoor pet ban currently in place.

County board member Monica Silva said pet owners relish the mental health benefits of having their pets with them in public. Having them at an outdoor restaurant is an extension of that.

“I would be very much in favor of that,” she said. “Most of the time if somebody is coming to an outdoor patio they know the behavior of their animal.”

Other board members expressed surprise that the practice isn’t already allowed.

“There’s a lot of other environmental contaminants out there other than dogs when you’re eating outside,” Rick Williams said. “I’m surprised you need a variance.”

Jarett Sanchez supported the change to help the local economy.

“It seems like a business decision,” Sanchez said. “They want to allow it, then let them.”

County health officials warned the policy change may create new complaints from people who don’t want to consume food in proximity to someone else’s pet. The indoor ban on animals, except service animals, will continue.

Officials said they will work on some guidelines for outdoor dining and pets. Those may include the outdoor areas having their own entry and exit points so the animals don’t have to come through the restaurant. Other guidelines could address restrictions on servers coming into contact with the animals and a need for the restaurants to have a cleanup kit for any “accident” the animals may have.

The guidelines will likely come back to the committee for review in May.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20230421/doggie-days-outdoor-dining-in-kane-county-may-allow-for-furry-friends-this-summer