Lady Lake commissioners on Monday debated the possibility of allowing pets to dine with their owners in outside areas of restaurants.
Town Manager Kris Kollgaard raised the possibility of establishing an ordinance that would allow owners to take their pets to patio dining at restaurants. She raised it because she had heard from a resident asking for such an ordinance.
Kollgaard’s suggestion drew strong reactions from the commissioners.
Commissioner Ruth Kussard argued that an ordinance would allow devoted pet owners to have their furry friends dine with them at restaurants which decided to offer that option. She said there would be no requirement for restaurants to allow dogs or other pets; it would be the restaurant’s choice. And it would only be allowed outside.
Mayor Jim Richards admitted that he and his wife already dine with their dog, Mabel, in the outdoor area at Applebee’s on Bichara Boulevard.
However, the remaining three commissioners – Paul Hannan, Dan Vincent and Tony Holden – strongly objected to the idea.
“I have a concern about an eating establishment and animals, together,” Hannan said.
Vincent’s objection was that it would create more work for the town’s code enforcement department.
“I have heard nothing good about this,” Holden said.
For the time being, if a restaurant turns a blind eye to dogs on a patio, it’s between the restaurant and the customer. Enforcement inside a restaurant would be an issue up to the health department. If someone is unhappy about a dog’s presence on a patio, it could be turned over to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, if the restaurant did not take action.
Doggie dining is dead for now in Lady Lake, as the two commissioners favoring the idea are outnumbered.
“It’s a shame,” Kussard said.
Doggie dining was hotly debated in 2014 in Wildwood. The city adopted an ordinance at the urging of Square 1 Burgers & Bar at Pinellas Plaza in The Villages.