Fight for dogs at cafes
Fri 05 November 2010
Bree Anderson, Bachelor of Design
Residents of the Sunshine Coast could potentially face hefty fines after dining with “illegal” guests at local cafes and restaurants.
Paying customers broke the law by inviting their animal friends to the table as they sip on skinny chais or feast on a 30cm high burger.
To make things more interesting, cafe owners and council inspectors had been known to disregard the “slobbering fur-child” under the table.
But Pups in Paradise Committee wanted this common practise to become lawful.
After all, they said, they were just dogs.
Pups in Paradise was a authoritative group of responsible dog owners and dog lovers who were prepared to fight to win the freedom for their best friends to accompany them as welcome guests to outdoor cafes and alfresco dining areas.
Pups in Paradise president Martine Spira was working closely with the State Government to amend the Queensland Food Act.
The committee launched a parliamentary petition with over 1000 signatures to enable dogs to dine with their owners and accompany their friends to outdoor cafes and restaurants.
“The current law is that the dog must be three metres away from any food at all times,” Mrs Spira said.
“If someone is caught for taking their pooch inside the designated dining areas, cafe and restaurant owners could be hit with a $2000 fine with a $200 fine to the dog owner.
“There is a small unaware population of people who think that dogs should not be able to join their master under the table because of hygiene issues.
“The concern about hygiene is minimal.
"The number of diseases transferred from a dog to a human is minuscule, [and] customers are more likely to be infected from someone coughing or sneezing."
Millions of dollars were being spent trying to educate the public about the transfer of disease.
Examples of these would be washing hands and putting items such as tissues (that may have germs) into a bin.
Some of this money could go towards educating people about the transfer of diseases through animals to humans.
The current food act permitted only “assistance animals” in dining and drinking areas.
Domestic dogs were required to be at least 3m away from any food at all times.
Mrs Spira said that in cafes people had to tolerate screaming children, prams, people coughing and mobile phones, and that the same respect for people and their dogs should be given.
“It is suggested the current law is in place due to health regulations and reasons," Mrs Spira said.
"If this is so, then why is the domestic dog more likely to ‘infect’ fellow diners rather than an assisted dog?”
Mrs Spira believed that dogs were more likely to whine or cry if separated from their owners, and they would behave much better sitting quietly beside their owners.
The Pups in Paradise proposal had a strong chance of being accepted.
If this were the case, then domestic dogs would be registered on the same level of importance as registered assistance dogs sitting beside their owners at outdoor cafes.
Sunshine Coast based veterinarian and animal surgeon Heather Rafter said that humans could encounter problems such as ringworm, heartworm, fleas and ticks through contact with animals.
Mrs Rafter said these parasites could be transmitted through a dog’s saliva or faeces.
But, Mrs Rafter said, the risk of actually catching a disease from a dog through food was extremely slim.
“The main issue would be owners monitoring their dog’s behaviour," Mrs Rafter said.
"After all most domestic dogs are better behaved than some of the kids that visit with their naive parents."
Mrs Rafter used to love taking her dogs to a local cafe and start the day with a coffee after a long run.
This was a practise she intended to re-visit once the outdated laws were changed.
“I do not see a problem, as long as the dog is well behaved, the owner is well behaved, and someone's Rottweiler is not breathing over my table,” Mrs Rafter said.
Based on an online survey, 70 per cent of the Queensland population were dog lovers.
Dogs were a vital part of most people’s social life, and were allowed to join their family in every other state in Australia and many first world countries.
Mrs Rafter said that dogs had been proven to be therapeutically beneficial to humans, in that they were a great key for socialising for those who may not be so “people-friendly”.
This often opened doors of communication that may have remained closed, helping both humans and dogs to socialise.
“Cafes are an important part of the dog’s socialisation and are a great place for teaching them manners,” Mrs Rafter said.
The state government was currently silent about the situation, and the Pups in Paradise Committee was working hard to gather more signatures for its petition.
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Submitted Comments
I'm a dog lover also. I am appalled at Queensland's arcic laws which fall behind the rest of Australia in regards to not allowing a well behaved dog to sit on council footpaths or nature strips while their owner enjoys a latte or two. Overseas the pooches are allowed everywhere, inside shops, inside planes and even hotels.......so WHY is the GC city council and Queensland Gov sooooo backward in their thinking of "man's best friend" who helps lower blood pressure, who helps lower stress so why not allow them whats due and bit of time out with their owners at a cafe on the footpath.
Please read Victorian Law - food safety their councils ALLOW DOGS on council footpaths.
VIRGINIA VASE
Hello , i too am fighting to change my local city council alfrseco dog regs , they are living with old out dated laws. I beleive that proprietors should make the choice to allow with the appropriate standards . We have a few areas fremantle, wanneroo, that actually do allow dogs- with food hygiene regs ammended for staff /customers etc so if you dont mind passing any relevant info much appreciated
Rose Henry
Amend the Act and let the dogs stay, the're not hurting anyone!
Ash