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.
Republican Senator Bill Coley, a dog owner himself, says 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 thiefdom, shall there be a dog?’ What the heck!”
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.