Washington State is considering legislation that would allow dogs to join their owners in bars and restaurants with liquor licenses. The bill — proposed by Senator Ken Jacobsen — would give bars and restaurants the option to allow dogs to join their owners, provided the dogs stay leashed at all times.
Jacobsen got the idea in downtown Olympia, when he saw dogs waiting outside a local pub on a cold, rainy day. His thinking was that if people can bring dogs into hotels and stores, why not bars and restaurants?
On the one hand, I really like this idea. I would love to be able to bring one or both of my pups out with me. There have been many times I’ve passed on a day or evening out because I was worried about leaving the dogs for too long. If they could come with me and be welcomed, I might not be so much of a hermit.
On the other hand, I can see a LOT of potential problems with dogs in bars and restaurants. Fur? Around food? Yuck. And then there are the possible problems like dogs not getting along with each other, barking, drooling, and accidents. What about bars that have a band coming in? I don’t think my dogs would appreciate the loud music. Then again, Moose likes to sit in the yard and listen to the neighborhood band practice in the garage.
And in the case of supervision — would you have to bring your dog into the bathroom with you? These are the weird things I wonder about.
It doesn’t seem like any states right now have similar legislation in the works. Some states (like Florida) do allow dogs with their owners at restaurants with outside eating areas. Again, the decision to permit dogs is in the hands of the business owners — the only pets that have to be allowed are service animals.