Are pooches headed for Washington’s pubs?

State lawmaker proposes allowing man’s best friend to be drinking buddy

John Froschauer / AP

Mike Duffy, right, watches while his dog Emma gets a treat from Rebecca Barrett at an outdoor deli window in Olympia, Wash. Duffy said he is not in favor of a bill that would allow well-behaved, leashed canines into bars.

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updated 7:01 p.m. ET Jan. 24, 2007

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Dogs could sidle up to their human companions downing their favorite microbrews in Washington state bars under legislation proposed by a Seattle Democrat.

Sen. Ken Jacobsen said he got the idea while at a downtown Olympia pub and saw dogs waiting outside in the cold and rain.

“There’s all sorts of places you can bring animals now,” said Jacobsen, who doesn’t own a dog. “You can take dogs into hotels. My God, some people are carrying dogs in their purses. Why can’t we have them in the bars?”

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The bill would allow bars and restaurants with liquor licenses to welcome dogs, as long as they accompany their owners and remain leashed. Establishments wouldn’t be required to allow dogs, except for service animals.

Janna Goodwin with the National Conference of State Legislatures said she could not find any states that allowed dogs in bars, or any that were considering similar legislation.

A slightly different law that went into effect in Florida last summer allows restaurants, approved by local governments, to permit dogs to eat with their owners outside.

Health officials said the ban on pets in restaurants and bars is based on Food and Drug Administration regulations.

“Animals don’t use the toilet and they shed and they sometimes drool, and those are potential issues with food,” said Joe Graham, public health adviser for the Washington state Department of Health.

Lisa Owens would like the bill to pass so she could bring her 112-pound Rottweiler, Ida, with her when meeting friends at bars in Olympia.

“If people were asking me to go somewhere and I could bring my dog, I might be more likely to go,” she said.

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But Mike Duffy, walking along a pier with his German shorthaired pointer, Emma, said he didn’t think it was a great idea.

“If you want to take your dog out, go for a walk,” he said. “If you want to go to the bar, leave the dog outside or at home.”

The Senate Labor, Commerce, Research and Development Committee scheduled a public hearing on Jacobsen’s proposal for Jan. 30.