HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – Senate Bill 107, introduced in the Kentucky General Assembly, would allow for food establishments to become dog-friendly, a topic that has created some mixed feelings.
“I would absolutely not take my pets into a restaurant,” says Heath Stone of Webster County.
“I’m all for it,” says Paula Hawkins, Director of New Hope Animal Rescue Center in Henderson. “I think it would be great, as long as everybody stays with the regulations and proves that we can do it the right way.”
Some regulations in the bill include prohibiting employees who prepare and handle food from coming in contact with dogs. Dogs who are brought into establishments would also be prohibited from coming in contact with food, dishes, utensils, and tableware. Senate Bill 107 would create exceptions of the United States Food Code to allow dogs in restaurants, as long as restaurants follow the above guidelines in addition to having visible signage indicating the facility is dog friendly.
Some patrons, like Heath Stone, have fears that some dogs may act drastically different in restaurants than compared to their own homes.
“Everyone, I guess, knows their pet,” says Stone. “But do you really know your pet if you’re taking it to a restaurant where food’s being cooked? I could foresee that being an issue.”
The bill would also give restaurants the right to refuse service if they deem a patron does not have “reasonable control” over their dog, or if the animal is creating an unsafe environment for those inside the establishment. You can read more about Senate Bill 107 here.