Dogs Get OK to Eat on Restaurant Patios

DALLAS (AP) - After some growling, the Dallas City Council in a split vote has decided to allow dogs to join their owners on the outdoor patios of restaurants.

Eateries may now apply for a local variance to state laws that prohibit animals on restaurant premises, according to the measure, which passed 8-5 on Wednesday.

"Animals are their children. I can't blame anyone" for wanting to dine with their pets, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Elba Garcia said. "You have a choice. You don't have to be there. The standards are clear in this ordinance. More than anything, it's an option for our businesses here."

But opponents said the city was opening the door to many problems.

"I love dogs. I don't know if they belong in restaurants," council member Mitchell Rasansky said. "We don't have the staff to check this. We don't know if the restaurants are going to clean up every 30 minutes. I don't want to go to a restaurant and see a dog going to the bathroom there."

Restaurants allowed to welcome dogs must provide a separate entrance to the patio, post "dog-friendly" signs, install curtains separating the inside of the eatery from the patio and prevent dogs from touching the serving staff.

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Information from: The Dallas Morning News, http://www.dallasnews.com

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