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Senate Now Also Has A Bill To Allow Pups On Restaurant/Bar Patios

Karen Kasler
Sen. Bill Coley (R-Liberty Township) is a sponsor of the bill in the Senate.

The House bill to allow dogs on restaurant patios in Ohio is getting a boost. There’s now a version of the bill being introduced in the Senate. 

Sen. Bill Coley (R-Liberty Twp.), a dog owner himself, said his bill would allow business owners, not health departments, to make the decisions to allow dogs on their outdoor patios.

“Why should a health department get to be onerous and just say, ‘no, no, nowhere in my jurisdiction, in my fiefdom, shall there be a dog?’ What the heck!” said Coley.

Earlier this year, health departments in some communities sent letters to businesses, telling them it is against state law to allow pups on their patios. Since then, some businesses, rescue groups and dog lovers have focused on changing that law.

Contact Jo Ingles at jingles@statehousenews.org.
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