I'm considering opening a home based bakery of allergy friendly cakes/cupcakes and just received all the same info from the Dept of Agriculture on getting licensed. I'm wondering if anyone has pets and if that's allowed when operating a home based bakery. It sounds like no pets are allowed in any rooms adjacent to the area used for cooking and/or preparing food. I'm thinking this means we will need to find a new home for our (inside) cat? Any home bakers with pets?

I'm probably no help but I have a license from home in PA and the Dept of Ag guy told me the only kind of pet that's allowed is outdoor pets (such as hunting dogs). I did have outdoor dogs at the time but they have passed due to old age so no more pets for us.

I would think that your pets would have to be outdoors or in a separate part of the house that was never open to the baking area to be approved by the Dept of Ag, at least here in PA...maybe its similar.

Good luck!

In Ohio, you cannot have indoor pets in order to be licensed. This may be the norm for those states that allow home-based baking.

I don't think it's ever allowed to have pets in the home if you have a licensed home bakery. It's just not considered sanitary.

I agree, after all they can't go in restaurants.

Ours even say no children in the baking area while working....I try to keep as close to that as I can...its better for me anyway haha. I gate my kitchen off and the kids only come through if they absolutely have to.

In Virginia you can have pets in the house as long as they're kept out of the cooking and food prep area. I think that you might not even have to have them out all the time, but just when you're working, but don't quote me on that. Ask the inspector from the Dept of Agriculture about that. If you have an inside cat you can just limit him to staying in the upstairs part of your house, or in certain rooms. I have two cats who I keep upstairs all the time. One almost never comes out from under the bed, so it's the perfect cat for me!