Dog-friendly Melbourne pub banned letting dogs inside
A dog friendly bar in Footscray has been told it will face hefty fines if it continues to let dogs indoors.
Bar Josephine has been dog friendly since it opened three years ago, and was originally supported by the Maribyrnong Council.
But a customer complaint has made the council change its tune, ordering the pub to stop letting dogs in or face a $200,000 fine.
Bar Josephine owner Aaron Donato said the size of the fine “would put us out of business pretty quick".
Food safety laws allow dogs in dining areas, but only if the dining areas are outdoors. The laws also include drinks within the legislation.
Mayor of Maribyrnong Sarah Carter said they weren’t ordering the dogs out.
“We're just saying they need to be in those courtyards," she told 7news.
But pub patron Mark Childs thinks the ban is unnecessary.
"They're not serving any food. The dogs are always well behaved. There's never any mess in the bar," he told 7news.
Sheridan Randall, 18th November 2019
