Bringing your Dog to Restaurant patios

[ricco67]

Then they should not be allowed on the patios of eateries. At all.

Good thing you don't own an eating establishment. The ADA would have a field day with you.

[EMME]

Council Member Gonzalez is supportive as well.

[editor]

For much of this argument, replace the word "pet" with "smoking" and it becomes more interesting.

[ricco67]

For much of this argument, replace the word "pet" with "smoking" and it becomes more interesting.

I enjoy not smelling like smoke when I go to a bar, but that's just me,i guess.

[crunchtastic]

I enjoy not smelling like smoke when I go to a bar, but that's just me,i guess.

I miss smoking. I enjoy not smelling like toddler when I go out to eat. I like dogs. Wait, which thread am I on?

Ugh.

[RedScare]

I patronize several pet friendly patios (since it is the only place I can smoke), and I can honestly say that I have never seen an unruly dog at any of them. And, given the number of patrons (including myself) who cannot resist petting or stroking the dog's head, it is abundantly clear that a large percentage of the patrons at these restaurants and bars approve of the owners allowing the dogs. I don't doubt that there are some who do not approve. The world is full of grumpy people. However, the quickness of which some would have the government enforce their grumpiness is rather startling.

Does the weather cause the pro-government regulation tsunami? Currently, there are threads advocating the government tell me how to renovate my home, advocating zoning, advocating the outlawing of retailers that do not have hip appeal, outlawing dogs, regulating the look of highrises, and of course, fondly recalling the outlawing of smoking in bars.

[Jeebus]

Then don't sit on the patio, and/or don't patronize businesses that allow pets on the patio. It's not like the dogs would be climbing up on your plate, at any rate. It's working fine in other Texas cities.

Thank you.

There should be no law against allowing your dog to sit at your feet outside on a patio. If you don't want to be around that, then only frequent a restaurant that doesn't allow it. I can't believe some here really want our politicians bickering and debating on whether dogs can sit at outdoor restaurant patios. No wonder nothing gets accomplished.

[LTAWACS]

It's just that they should not be allowed. Period.

[dbigtex56]

Animals should not be allowed in eateries. Period.

Then they should not be allowed on the patios of eateries. At all.

It's just that they should not be allowed. Period.

So , LTAWACS - where do you stand on this issue?

[LTAWACS]

Are you e-stalking me again?

[dbigtex56]

Are you e-stalking me again?

Of course not. The judge was very clear on that point.

PS: Love your shirt!

[samagon]

is there anything similar for cats on patios?

[Daniepwils]

I have brought my dog to Ziggy's in downtown and ate outside before, but someone else did as well and they told her that she couldn't.

Can someone list some of the places (eatiers more so than bars) that are pet friendly?

[LTAWACS]

Of course not. The judge was very clear on that point.

PS: Love your shirt!

[dbigtex56]

is there anything similar for cats on patios?

Or even not on patios

Some of my favorite haunts have included Bar Cats.

Locally, the Ale House was a friend of stray cats, which were friendly and a 'green' way to control vermin.

Mary's beloved bar cat, Mr. Balls, had a designated bar stool; his caricature can still be see on the east wall of the building.

The Tunnel Bar in NYC had a cat who was the epitome of cool; utter aplomb, absolutely imperturbable, and maybe the only good influence in the place.

Don't expect any legal latitude for animals in Houston, where even hot dog carts are banned. I blame the absurd local germaphobia on Marvin Zindler.

And I can say proudly: of the many diseases I've endured, none were contracted from animals.

[west20th]

I have brought my dog to Ziggy's in downtown and ate outside before, but someone else did as well and they told her that she couldn't.

Can someone list some of the places (eatiers more so than bars) that are pet friendly?

The ones I know for sure are:

11th street cafe

Barnaby's Shepherd

Baby Barnaby's Fairview

[west20th]

Or even not on patios

Some of my favorite haunts have included Bar Cats.

Locally, the Ale House was a friend of stray cats, which were friendly and a 'green' way to control vermin.

Mary's beloved bar cat, Mr. Balls, had a designated bar stool; his caricature can still be see on the east wall of the building.

The Tunnel Bar in NYC had a cat who was the epitome of cool; utter aplomb, absolutely imperturbable, and maybe the only good influence in the place.

Don't expect any legal latitude for animals in Houston, where even hot dog carts are banned. I blame the absurd local germaphobia on Marvin Zindler.

And I can say proudly: of the many diseases I've endured, none were contracted from animals.

Buchanan's has a nursery cat. I used to bring my dog there but the B-cat always kicks his ass. Very embarrassing.

[Flashman]

This city will never have a dog-friendly patio ordinance as long as that Idiot Ken Hoffman writes a column for the Chronicle. (Is LTAWACS really Ken's screen name?) He is irrationally opposed to such a thing.

Me? I don't believe that the guvmunt should tell us whom we can eat with.

[KinkaidAlum]

Cahill's is dog friendly.

Now, let's get into the horse discussion. I miss Lacey/Lucy that used to graze over near Natachee's.

[Subdude]

Thank you.

There should be no law against allowing your dog to sit at your feet outside on a patio. If you don't want to be around that, then only frequent a restaurant that doesn't allow it. I can't believe some here really want our politicians bickering and debating on whether dogs can sit at outdoor restaurant patios. No wonder nothing gets accomplished.

Well the ordinance is already in place, so the politicians would only be bickering and debating about it if people suddenly want to make it legal. If greater political efficiency is what you're after, then it would be better to leave the ban in place. Glib responses such as "just don't frequent restaurants that allow it" don't really make any sense. One doesn't always choose a restaurant oneself, and as far as I know there isn't a dog-friendly restaurant registry in place to check.

[ricco67]

Cahill's is dog friendly.

Now, let's get into the horse discussion. I miss Lacey/Lucy that used to graze over near Natachee's.

I really think it was best of the horse wasn't there. There would be a D-bag out there that would do some harm to the poor thing.

Now a ride up food establishment? I think it would be all sorts of awesome.

The horses AND the owners would have matching feedbags.

I wonder if they would also scrape off what is needed to season their food from the salt lick?

<shudder>

[Subdude]

Or even not on patios

Some of my favorite haunts have included Bar Cats.

Locally, the Ale House was a friend of stray cats, which were friendly and a 'green' way to control vermin.

Mary's beloved bar cat, Mr. Balls, had a designated bar stool; his caricature can still be see on the east wall of the building.

The Tunnel Bar in NYC had a cat who was the epitome of cool; utter aplomb, absolutely imperturbable, and maybe the only good influence in the place.

Don't expect any legal latitude for animals in Houston, where even hot dog carts are banned. I blame the absurd local germaphobia on Marvin Zindler.

And I can say proudly: of the many diseases I've endured, none were contracted from animals.

That joint that used to be on the corner of Richmond and Greenbriar - Pig & Whistle? - had a patio area that was always attended by a couple of cats that seemed to enjoy wandering about or sitting on the wall to watch the crowd.

[RedScare]

Well the ordinance is already in place, so the politicians would only be bickering and debating about it if people suddenly want to make it legal. If greater political efficiency is what you're after, then it would be better to leave the ban in place. Glib responses such as "just don't frequent restaurants that allow it" don't really make any sense. One doesn't always choose a restaurant oneself, and as far as I know there isn't a dog-friendly restaurant registry in place to check.

Well, it's certainly all about you, isn't it?

Before you go all spastic on me, I said it that way for a reason. You are demanding laws (or the keeping of laws already in place) to suit your tastes, not because the public is endangered by the practice. Dogs have lived with humans forever. Your health claims are bogus, as are the health department's. This is a "style" issue, as opposed to substance, and frankly, these types of rules weigh society down (not this one in particular, but this type of law). We really need to start eliminating these types of laws, not enacting more of them. At least the smoking ordinance had a tenuous claim to health (save your typing, as I find the second hand smok "science" to be a fraud), but this ordinance is simply regulation of taste. So is the historical ordinance. There is nothing historic about my 90 year old bungalow. It is simply old and cute.

[barracuda]

Well, it's certainly all about you, isn't it?

Before you go all spastic on me, I said it that way for a reason. You are demanding laws (or the keeping of laws already in place) to suit your tastes, not because the public is endangered by the practice. Dogs have lived with humans forever. Your health claims are bogus, as are the health department's. This is a "style" issue, as opposed to substance, and frankly, these types of rules weigh society down (not this one in particular, but this type of law). We really need to start eliminating these types of laws, not enacting more of them. At least the smoking ordinance had a tenuous claim to health (save your typing, as I find the second hand smok "science" to be a fraud), but this ordinance is simply regulation of taste. So is the historical ordinance. There is nothing historic about my 90 year old bungalow. It is simply old and cute.

The bolded comment goes both ways - there are people on both sides of the fence. I may be one of those grumpy people you referred to earlier. I say I have nothing against dogs because I generally do like dogs, especially the sweet and loving ones. The ones that walk up and wag their tail because they're excited to see you. Where I get grumpy is when it comes to dog owners who don't discipline or control their pets in public.

A few examples to explain my grumpiness….a fews years back, I had an unleashed dog walk up and bite my leg while in Memorial Park, while the owners just stood by and watched, offering no apology. Then a few months ago, I was chased down by a large angry dog while running down a neighborhood street, while the owner just stood in the yard and called for him to come back. I had to stop and yell at the dog as it seemed to be debating whether to maul me, until the owner finally casually walked over and snatched him. And at this very moment, I have an immediate neighbor who leaves his dogs outside to howl and bark anytime anyone or anything makes a subtle move anywhere within a 100' radius. These are just a few of the negative experiences that taint my desire to include dogs in more aspects of our lives.

Regardless of my personal experiences, I don't mind when reasonable and considerate pet owners bring friendly, non-barking dogs to a restaurant patio. Based on trends, I suspect the law in Houston will eventually change, but with basic restrictions for safety and cleanliness. But I also think taking a pet to a restaurant should be viewed as a privilege, as it's certainly not a necessity for most folks. I don't think the rights of a dog owner should supersede the rights of other paying patrons in cases where the owners don't manage their dog, the way many parents these days let their kids run wild thinking that nobody minds.

[editor]

is there anything similar for cats on patios?

A cat wouldn't eat at a place that would allow pets.

[editor]

And I can say proudly: of the many diseases I've endured, none were contracted from animals.

I got a nasty, never properly identified infection from a street monkey overseas back around 2002. Hopefully people don't start bringing monkeys to restaurants!

And speaking of cats -- One of my fondest memories of Houston is the old bookshop in Galveston where a pair of lazy kitties prowl the stacks, and sleep on the antique chairs.

[barracuda]

A cat wouldn't eat at a place that would allow pets.

It seems like most restaurants with outdoor patios have cat regulars. I won't name any particular restaurants as I don't want to get them into trouble, but I know one cat that really likes to hang out and eat chicken shawarma.

[editor]

Don't expect any legal latitude for animals in Houston, where even hot dog carts are banned. I blame the absurd local germaphobia on Marvin Zindler.

Hot dog carts are also illegal in Chicago and Rome. In both places, the official reason is rats. I don't know if there are similar laws in London or Paris, but I've never seen hot dog carts there, either.

In Los Angeles, poor women pick oranges off the trees along the streets in working-class areas and squeeze the juice into a cup for you for a buck. They're not officially sanctioned by the city, nor the supermarkets that once owned the carts they work out of.

[RedScare]

The bolded comment goes both ways - there are people on both sides of the fence.

Actually,it does not. My complaint is that too many people are pushing for government regulation to enforce their tastes. I believe that, absent a legitimate health or safety reason (your example about hot dog vendors might be one), government should leave to the private retailers to run their restaurants as they see fit. There are plenty of restaurants that would not allow pets, as they would conflict with the ambience. Others might encourage well behaved pets.

Unruly pets, like unruly patrons, can be expelled by the owners of the restaurant. They do not need the backing of armed police to properly run their store.

Subdude, like you and I, are not entitled to private businesses run exactly as we would like. We are not entitled to government regulations enforcing the way we want a restaurant run. We are also not entitled to have government force our neighbors to renovate their homes to our tastes, or to only allow the "right" kind of retailer down the street. However, we have moved in that direction. It is not a good move. It should be reversed.

[RedScare]

Note to bigtex. The hot dog carts were banned in Houston due to pressure exerted by the Houston Restaurant Association. Hard as it is to believe, the restaurantuers believed the low priced dogs were a threat to an actual meal at a sit-down establishment. It was cloaked as a health issue. Technically, the carts ARE legal. They just have prohibitive rules for operation, making them all but impossible to operate.