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Not Going to the Dogs
A recent article in the Toronto Star about the pressing issue of dogs on restaurant patios caught our eye. The piece referenced a Gabby’s franchise which had previously allowed the practice, but which, according to the article, no longer did. Since the place is right down the street, we leashed up the dog (not purchased especially for this story) and raced over to investigate.
Our worst fears were realized. Dogs had indeed been relegated to the outside of the patio fence, a distinction meaningless from a hygiene perspective but heartbreaking to dog lovers separated from their pets by a Berlin Wall of wrought iron. One more battle had been lost in the war for canine emancipation.
The reason for the turnabout is simple: as the Star notes, dogs on patios are considered violations of Section 59, Subsection e) ii of Regulation 562 of the Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Act, which states that:
“Every operator of a food premise shall ensure that… every room where food is manufactured, prepared, processed, handled, served, displayed, stored, sold or offered for sale is kept free from … live birds and animals.”
Apparently some mean-spirited patron had complained to the city about Gabby’s willful disregard for subsection e)ii. Since restaurant owners can be penalized for contravening this law, management had no choice but to comply.
Even ignoring the obvious question of whether an outdoor patio can reasonably be called a room, the merits of the law are highly dubious. Europeans have been bringing animals into cafes and restaurants for generations, without any outbreaks of pet-related infection.
Of course some people prefer not to share their eating space with animals, even adorable ones. However, in the absence of any real health issues, wouldn’t it make sense for restauranteurs to be allowed to post “dog-friendly” signs on their establishment and let patrons decide for themselves if they want to come in?
Dogs tied up outside the patio area will still be permitted to smoke.