Washington State seems to be passing a good law for a change.
From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Doggy diner bill moves forwardVery cool!
Animal lovers in the state are one step closer to being able to dine out with their dogs. A bill that would allow people to bring their dogs to restaurants passed out of committee Tuesday, but health officials still have some concerns.
The bill would allow leashed dogs to sit with their owners in outdoor seating areas of restaurants, bars and cafes for a three-year trial period. For businesses to participate, cities would first have to pass an ordinance approving the practice.
Originally, the bill's sponsor, Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle, wanted the bill to allow dogs inside bars, as long as they were well-behaved, leashed, and there with the bar owner's permission.
Health officials testified against the bill because of worries that dogs' presence in food establishments could spread disease-causing bacteria.
Department of Health spokesman Jeff Smith said health officials haven't had time to review the changes to the bill and that they still oppose it.
But Jacobsen said that there is no real health issue associated with having dogs in food establishments, and that people already do it anyway.
"There's only one thing we can get from dogs, and that's rabies," Jacobsen said. "If you think about it, you have them in your house. Seattle people take their dogs on the buses all the time, and that doesn't seem to be disruptive."
He said that having dogs in public places like bars and restaurants makes for a more friendly environment.
"In my mind, they make it a more human setting, a more natural setting," Jacobsen said. "I just find it more relaxing having them around."
State health departments model their animal regulations around the Federal Food Code, which says live animals shouldn't be allowed in places that serve food (unless they're service animals). Florida, however, has a policy that allows dogs to sit with their owners at outdoor seating areas of restaurants.
Spencer Fairbanks, a manager at Broadway Grill on Capitol Hill, said his customers often bring their dogs to the restaurant's outdoor seating area and he's never received any complaints about them.
"It's good for our business, because we're in such a densely populated part of the city that people have to get out with their dogs, and they tend to combine errands," he said. "We're very dog-friendly."
