Investigation of awareness, sanitation, and customer education practices among employees of pet and animal feed stores that sell live animals in the United States.

Background: Numerous zoonotic disease outbreaks have been associated with companion animals and poultry purchased at pet and animal feed stores. Employees are often the initial source of information for customers purchasing a new pet. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to: (1) investigate awareness, sanitation, and customer education practices related to zoonotic disease risk, and (2) identify predictors of providing customer education among employees of pet and animal feed stores that sell live animals.

Methods: A survey of pet and animal feed store employees was conducted to evaluate sanitation practices, training, and awareness of zoonotic disease risk. Differences in proportions of categorical variables were assessed using Chi-square tests. Wilcoxon rank-sum and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to assess for differences in the values of ordinal variables based on the values of categorical variables. A partial proportional odds model was used to identify predictors of providing customer education.

Results: Surveys were completed by 206 respondents from the Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and Western US, 146 of whom reported that their workplace sold live animals. Handwashing was more frequent among employees whose workplace had handwashing policies related to handling animals and their habitats (p < 0.001). Perceived zoonotic disease risk was higher among those who had received workplace training (p = 0.007). Higher odds of providing customer education related to zoonotic disease risk were associated with serving in a supervisory role (p = 0.005), higher perceived zoonotic disease risk (p = 0.001), and more frequent sanitation practices (handwashing, p = 0.031; surface disinfection, p < 0.001; and glove use, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Pet and animal feed stores play an important role in minimizing occupational health hazards for employees and providing education for customers. These retailers should implement clear biosecurity protocols and provide training about zoonotic disease risk associated with handling live animals.