Iowans who are fans of dogs, own dogs, and like bringing their dogs with them when they go out to eat will be happy to know...they can keep on bringing their furry friends with them. This actually hasn't been much of a concern for Iowans since 2020 but it looks like the rest of the country could be catching on soon.

Unsplash - Ralu Gal
Unsplash - Ralu Gal
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According to KCRG, there has been a recent update to the FDA guidelines and restaurants can have dogs in outdoor patio areas. There was a guidance in place last year, which said that restaurants needed approval from local regulators before they could have dogs on their patios.

The reason this is important in other parts of the country is that it clears things up in other states. There were different sets of rules, depending on where you live. Now if you're vacationing with your dog or visiting friends/family, this could make it easier for you to bring your dog when you go out to eat.

While this news is exciting for other parts of the country, it really won't affect Iowa that much. According to KCRG, Iowa changed the code in 2020, which allowed restaurants to host pets on patios without needing a waiver from the department.

There are rules that restaurants and patrons will have to follow if they'd like to bring their dog with and the 2 biggest ones are; Dogs can't walk through the restaurant to get to the patio and employees who are on the clock, can't have contact with the animals.

Taylor Lilibridge works at Goldfinch, located in Marion, Iowa, and she told KCRG they're happy to have animals visit

We’re happy to keep the pets coming.  As long as I’ve been employed, we’ve always been a dog-friendly space. We definitely do a good job of making sure that we’re meeting all the requirements. We’ve haven’t had any issues and pet owners have been very responsible.

Dana Harbas is the manager at 30Hop, located in Cedar Rapids, she also spoke to KCRG and she believes allowing dogs is good for business. She said, "I think that it brings more people in."

Obviously, not all restaurants allow you to bring your dog with you so it's always smarter to check ahead, just to save yourself the hassle of stopping at a location that might not be pet friendly.

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