Dogs and Restaurants

Wow!1

Just look at this. Puppies can join their Mommies and Daddies dining outside a certain restaurants for real now!!!

Check out the Yorkie Member of the Florida legislator adding her paw print to the legislation signed by Governor jeb Bush last Friday. Such great news for everyone!!! I wonder if this means more places will start to accept Cookie Card for payment like 'Reeses Restaurant does?!

Read on for more puppy news.....

Gov. Bush signs bill allowing dogs to eat at restaurants

By Travis Reed
The Associated Press
Posted June 2 2006, 6:15 PM EDT
 

ORLANDO, Fla.--At just 1 year old, Theo had already turned to a life of crime.

The barely-more-than-a-handful Yorkie would sneak into restaurants inside his owner's bag--usually undetected, but he and Marcy Richardson have been kicked out before.



``He loves to be outside with a bunch of people,'' said Richardson, a 26-year-old Orlando opera singer. ``He's quiet and never makes a mess. Everyone loves him.''

Now she and Theo can stop worrying and start chowing down.

Gov. Jeb Bush on Friday signed the so-called ``doggie dining'' bill, allowing local governments to let restaurants permit dogs to eat with their owners outside. Florida health regulations previously prevented all dogs except service animals from joining patrons al fresco--though several restaurants ignored the rules until Orlando-area regulators started cracking down last year.

State Rep. Sheri McInvale, R-Orlando, filed the bill after some complained they were threatened with fines.

The measure creates a three-year pilot program, with the state to determine whether to continue it. Allowing dogs to dine would be up to each county, and even if it's allowed restaurant owners would still decide on their own whether to participate.

Bush said the bill will allow dog lovers and their pets to ``have a brewski together, have a hot dog together or whatever they want outdoors.''

``It just seems like it's a small thing but it's going to be an important thing for a whole lot of people,'' Bush said. It was a bittersweet day for the governor after his black Labrador --and Florida's First Dog, Marvin --died Wednesday at age 11 following a battle with cancer.

``He was a beautiful black lab and he brought great joy to our lives,'' Bush said, adding that he was glad Marvin was out of pain and imagined him in doggie heaven.

But not everyone supported the bill. George Jones, a 51-year-old Orlando accountant with a border collie and black Labrador, said he thought legally allowing dogs to dine in public was ``the most ignorant thing I've ever seen.''

``They eat well, but they don't eat with me,'' Jones said. I've already made the decision that I won't go to any place that will allow them. I just don't think people should eat with dogs; that's disgusting.''

The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association lauded the bill in a written statement for providing more flexibility to business owners.

``Aside from the obvious benefit of reducing the need for doggie bags, this legislation reiterates the desire of restaurateurs to be the ultimate decision maker in how their businesses are run,'' president and CEO Carol B. Dover said.

Without Marvin by his side, Bush signed the bill holding state Sen. Charlie Clary's dog Dixie Cup, which provided a seconding paw print.

Doggie dining gets governor's stamp of approval

Canines can eat outside restaurants

Mark Schlueb
Orlando Sentinel
Posted June 3 2006
 

The government went to the dogs Friday.

Gov. Jeb Bush, fresh from legislative battles about class size and school vouchers, came to Orlando to deal with another weighty issue: allowing dogs to dine at restaurants.

Surrounded by yapping hounds and yapping politicians, Bush signed a bill that allows cities to grant permission to restaurant owners who want to open their patio dining rooms to four-legged customers.

"There are millions of Floridians who love their dogs. Their dogs are their best companions, even if they're married," Bush quipped. "These dogs and their companions can have a brewski together, a hotdog together or whatever they want."

The ceremony took place at Sam Snead's Restaurant, where a canine uprising began two years ago.

Like other restaurants downtown, Sam Snead's had built a loyal following of furry customers on its outdoor patio. Dog owners could browse from a "Furry Friends Menu," including chicken and kibble and bow-wow pizza served on a complimentary Frisbee.

But state restaurant inspectors put a stop to it. Late in 2004, inspectors suddenly began enforcing a no-dogs-allowed rule that had long been on the books but had been all but ignored. Allowing dogs at restaurants wouldn't be sanitary, they argued.

Enforcement remained spotty; dogs were still welcome at some cafes in College Park and Winter Park, but those downtown, including Sam Snead's, Dexter's Cafe, Anthony's Pizza and others, were told to kick out the canines or risk $5,000 fines.

That's when the fur started to fly. Sam Snead's owner Candie Ryser began circulating a petition, and tallied up more than 10,000 mostly human signatures. Orlando Commissioner Patty Sheehan, who represents the district, pushed for a change in state law.

"We've never had a situation where people have gotten sick from having a dog at a restaurant. People have dogs in their kitchens at home and no one has gotten sick," said Sheehan, her dog Maxine tucked under her arm.

Sheehan enlisted the help of state Rep. Sheri McInvale, R-Orlando, who sponsored a bill allowing local governments to decide for themselves whether restaurants can permit dogs in outdoor eating areas. The bill was in danger in the Senate until its sponsor named the legislation after well-liked Destin Sen. Charlie Clary's dog, Dixie Cup. Legislators fell in love with the Dixie Cup Clary Local Control Act.

Under the new law, which takes effect immediately, cities may enact ordinances allowing restaurants to apply for permission to open their patio doors to dogs.