By Drew Harwell, Times Staff Writer
Friday, January 7, 2011
DUNEDIN — Dog lovers, grab your leashes — local restaurants will soon cater to man's best friend.
To residents and regulars of the town dubbed "Dogedin," that may sound like nothing new. More than a dozen city bars and eateries allow customers to bring their dogs. Some even serve treats.
One problem — it's technically illegal. The city had yet to opt into the state's "Doggie Dining" law, and inspectors could have issued fines or revoked licenses from business owners caught welcoming the prohibited pooches.
The City Commission on Thursday night pushed to change that, voting unanimously in support of a local ordinance extending dogs' legal domain into restaurants' outdoor seating.
"Folks have been doing it anyway, so we're just keeping up with the trend," Commissioner Julie Ward Bujalski said. "For me, it's just housekeeping now. In some ...