A big bite has been taken out the wacky allow-dogs-in-bars bill, suddenly making it palatable.
Sen. Ken Jacobsen’s original proposal would have allowed “well-behaved,” leashed dogs, accompanied by their owners, inside bars. For health, safety and various other reasons, this was a bad idea.
A substitute bill would allow leashed dogs to sit with their owners in outdoor seating areas of restaurants, bars and cafes for three-year-trial period. For businesses to participate, cities would have to pass an ordinance approving the practice.
Many restaurants, bars and cafes already allow this, because it is a sensible compromise. Health officials say the main concern is that dogs could spread disease-causing bacteria. That worry, however, is not legitimate when the dogs are outside, nowhere near the food preparation area. If merely consuming food near a dog was a health danger, we would have a very small human population indeed.
Jacobsen, however, isn’t doing himself, or the bill, or dog owners any favors when he insists, “There’s only one thing we can get from dogs, and that’s rabies.”
Actually, people can get fleas, and flea bites, from dogs. People can get dog bites from dogs. People can have a severe allergic reactions from just being around a dog. People can, and do, get unwanted slobber, fur and dander on their person from dogs. People can get a very gross shoe from what dogs do. There’s no point in trying to downplay real and potential problems between humans and canines. Just as there’s no point in trying to pretend that in our society, dogs haven’t come a long way, baby. People want to take their little Tinkerbells and their macho Ottos everywhere they go. So it’s refreshing to have a compromise – dine with your dog outdoors, but not inside.
In Florida, the cities of Orlando, Miami, St. Petersburg and Tampa are taking advantage of a similar change in state law. Several establishments report that sales are up because people can bring their dogs. In addition, many restaurants are adding menu items for the dogs, such as Sam Snead’s in Orlando, which offers a chicken-and-kibble entre served on a Frisbee.
Of course, dining outside in Florida – the Sunshine state – is one thing. Here, outdoor dining is a hit or miss affair. Some days in July and August usually deliver. So the onus will be on the dog owners to not abuse this compromise if it makes it out of the Legislature. Oh, it’s raining, we’ll just take the pooches inside. Well, it’s always raining. Time to petition your favorite eatery/bar/coffee shop for a covered, outside area. Or two. One for the dogs, and one for the smokers.
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