[CFrance]

Thank you, jayhawk. I think there is one other restaurant in TV that has the proper permits to allow dogs on their patio. I think it's Red Sauce. Or Cody's. Hopefully there will be more.

There are many restaurants in the Keys that have allowed this for years. Shoot, we were told by staff to bring our first golden inside one time at The Fish House in Key Largo, because it was too hot outside. They put us in a little out-of-the-way alcove booth. I'm sure it wasn't legal, but that's the Keys for ya.They are their own little kingdom. Key West is full of dog-patio-friendly restaurants, and in the six winters we spent there, we never heard a complaint in the newspaper or on a forum. It was just accepted practice.

Allowing pets on patios is a legal possibility in FL. A restaurant just has to apply for the permits. People will either get used to it or go elsewhere, but I don't think it will cause any of them to go out of business. The hotel industry has been forward thinking on this issue. It used to be impossible to find a hotel that accepts pets. People insisted on traveling with their pets. Lowes Hotels started out accepting pets, delivering a mat and bowls, a menu, and a goodie bag to your room. It was called Lowes Loves Pets. Hilton soon followed. The less expensive hotels started falling in line. Money talks. We will go where they are accepted, as will millions of others.

Frankly, we leave our 90-lb dog at home, for his own comfort, not anybody else's. He gets too hot outside in close quarters. But he would be among the best behaved dogs there. And he would love the chicken and steamed broccoli. Someday we might have a smaller dog, and then look out!