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LABORATORY PROTOCOL

Any problem bringing a pet dog to the lab?

Potential threat to clean-health status of animal subjects

Reader Question: One of my new lab employees wants to bring her dog to work. She says her spouse is allowed to do so at his work. Are outside animals harmful in a lab? What about seeing-eye dogs?

Expert Comments:

In the past few years, more companies have created policies allowing workers to bring dogs and other pets to work. These employers tend to be small companies — many of them in the creative arts, computer or human services fields. But in the world of science, biomedical research, pharmaceutical companies, universities, contract research organizations and the like, such policies are rare to nonexistent.

Most larger research institutions have general rules regarding visitors, photography, pets, and children that may be more stringent than smaller companies. In a research facility that contains laboratory animals, any type of outside animal can be a threat to the clean health status of the research animals.

Although most pet dogs are vaccinated and de-wormed and may pose a lesser threat for disease spread, the potential always exists. Some institutions require anyone who handles specific clean laboratory animals to stay away from outside species when they are not on the job — for example, no visits to the local pet store.

Other concerns from the employers' perspective are liability for potential dog bites, co-workers’ allergies, as well as some co-workers’ fear of dogs or other pets. So in a research setting with laboratory animals it is unlikely that a pet dog would be allowed, although there may be some environments where dogs could be allowed to come to work if strictly confined to the office of a research lab.

Rules regarding service animals fall under a different category. Usually human resources departments determine what, if any, accommodations might be made for laboratory personnel requiring the assistance of a service animal.

Comments by Mary B. Sauer, VMD, Dipl. ACLAM, Attending Veterinarian, Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

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