Food safety attorney calls for state-level petting zoo regulations following E. coli outbreaks
Attorney Bill Marler has proposed a model law for state legislatures to regulate petting zoos after multiple E. coli incidents in one week.
Following three separate E. coli investigations involving petting zoos in five days, food safety attorney Bill Marler has abandoned his previous calls for an outright ban on such exhibits. Instead, he is advocating for a 'Petting Zoo Preservation Act' to be adopted by state legislatures across the country.
The proposed framework introduces a ten-point model law aimed at standardizing safety requirements. Key recommendations include prohibiting direct contact between children under the age of five and high-risk animals, ending the reliance on sanitizer-only stations as a primary safety measure, and enforcing strict permitting requirements for all animal exhibits.
Marler, a veteran attorney specializing in foodborne illness litigation, suggests that systemic regulatory oversight is necessary to mitigate public health risks. The shift in his approach signals a move toward structured risk management rather than the total cessation of animal interactions in public settings.
The proposal seeks to establish a consistent legal standard for operators to prevent future outbreaks while maintaining the accessibility of petting zoos.