It’s ironic that Martin Golder and his dog were shooed away from a pub called the Beagle. No pooches on the patio, the health rules said.
That was a couple of years ago, setting Golder off on a path that ended with the Health Ministry deciding that yes, bars and restaurants can allow dogs on their premises if they wish.
The thing is, the change was done so quietly – or perhaps buried by the chaos of COVID – that many eatery owners don’t know about it.
So, to repeat: Bars and restaurants may now have dogs on their patios if they so wish, as long as they adhere to certain practices. Given the pandemic-driven boom in dog ownership and the pandemic-driven proliferation of outdoor eating areas, the timing seems perfect.
Not everyone likes the idea. There are those who abhor the notion of trying to enjoy a nice meal out while the chocolate lab at the next table engages in a wet, noisy and aggressive investigation of its own private parts.
On the other side, though, are those who see the presence of canine companions as a sign of civilization, part of la dolce vita. In some parts of Europe, no one thinks twice about bringing a dog along to dinner.
“In France, you could take dogs into restaurants, let alone patios,” says Golder, a retired Victoria architect.
In fact, he was fresh back from Europe on the day he took his Wheaten terrier Kerry with him to the Beagle, only to run into a B.C. regulation barring live animals from anywhere food is served. The only exceptions are guide dogs, fish in aquariums, or “any other animal that a health officer determines will not pose a risk of a health hazard.”
After a bit of digging, Golder went to the Health Ministry to argue there was no proof that dogs present such a risk, so they should be allowed.
As it turns out, others had been making the same case. Golder’s was just one of the voices that led the ministry to decide — after consulting with health, hospitality and animal-care experts — that restaurants should have the flexibility to decide for themselves whether to allow dogs, based on the wishes of their customers.
“If B.C. restaurants want to welcome patrons and their dogs on their patios they can work with local environmental health officers to review to make sure that they meet requirements of the Food Premises Regulation, and any health hazards or risks are mitigated and controlled,” the ministry says.
The decision has been cheered by many in the hospitality industry. “I think it’s wonderful,” said Ian Tostenson, president and CEO of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association. It has gone a little under the radar, though, given all the other challenges facing the industry.
Beagle Pub owner Bart Reed was certainly happy to hear the news. He likes the idea of pups on the patio. “I find it silly not to have a dog,” he says. After all, his pub pours pints of Bad Dog from Sooke, Dog Mountain from Port Alberni and Yellow Dog from Port Moody.
Right now, though, the Beagle only welcomes dogs at the tables that have been placed on the boulevard during the pandemic, not on its patio on its own premises. The pub, which years ago was barked at by the authorities after a member of the public complained about a minor dog-related transgression, has tried to be compliant ever since,
The landscape has slowly changed, though. Some bars and restaurants have long called themselves dog-friendly without getting in trouble. Bringfido.com lists 13 in Victoria alone.
More places are getting on board. In Vic West, Spinnakers has never allowed dogs in food areas, but recently erected a sign welcoming them to a new gazebo-covered area in its parking lot.
Owner Paul Hadfield says customers like having the option of Fido at their feet. The dogs just chill.
Other provinces have been heading in the same direction as B.C., including Ontario, which eased its rules in 2020. Nova Scotia changed its law at the end of March, and now allows dogs on patios and in sidewalk cafes. About one third of U.S. states have something similar.
Alas, it’s too late for Golder’s Kerry, who has gone to wherever it is that good dogs go when they die.
“She will not reap the benefits of this,” he says. But others will.