City of Yarra council cracks down on pets in Fitzroy pub
Patrons sipping pints at a Fitzroy bar last week were stunned when Yarra Council staff wearing body cameras descended on the venue to investigate a customer’s complaint.
Why did the health protection unit come to the Rose Hotel? The owner of the bar, Neil Spark, allowed dogs into the bar.
City workers identified the dog as he entered the popular watering hole, took a photo of him, and told Spark he could get a ticket.
A report later submitted by the City of Yarra stated that Age He said he was given a copy, that the customer’s complaint was “justified” and that a dog was “proudly announced to be on the premises at the hour”. [the] examination time”.
Venues across Victoria must comply with both the federal Food Standards Acts and the state Food Act (1984); The latter is largely implemented by councils..
Under both statute and law, animals, with the exception of service animals, are allowed into outdoor dining areas that are not substantially enclosed by walls, roofs or cafe shutters, but they must not be taken into food processing areas.
After their visit to the Rose Hotel, the municipality told Spark that “dogs should not be allowed into the facility.”
“The only exception to allowing dogs on the property is if they are assistance or eye dogs. Pet dogs or other animals are not permitted on the property,” the letter said.
Spark told Age: “We’ve had dogs in the pub for years, only in the public bar area, not in the kitchen or anything like that. But then the council’s health and safety officers started enforcing this.”
He said venue owners should be able to decide whether they want to be dog-friendly.
“My regular customers who bring their dogs will be very vocal and do everything they can to change the law.”
Two years ago, Yarra City sent letters to venues in the area warning that dogs were prohibited from entering food processing areas. A petition from local residents calling on the municipality to allow bar owners to use their discretion quickly gathered more than 8,000 signatures.
A spokesman said the council was taking a phased approach to enforcing the law, which included verbal and written warnings, and “only formal enforcement will result if businesses choose to continue to break the law”.
The fines are up to $1007.55 for individuals and $2035.10 for companies, the spokesman said.
Despite the City of Yarra’s processes, Mayor Stephen Jolly said the majority of the community wanted a sensible approach, noting that many councils turned a blind eye as best they could, only taking action when there were complaints.
“Of course you can’t bring a dog into the pub kitchen. But allowing people to have dogs at their feet on a Sunday afternoon while drinking beer and listening to a jazz band, for God’s sake, what’s wrong with that?” he said.
A Yarra City spokesperson said the complaint about the Rose Hotel was the second complaint they had received about the venue.
“While reviewing the case, the decision was made to issue a formal warning, noting that a follow-up audit may be carried out to verify compliance.”
A spokesperson for the Victorian government said: Age On Tuesday: “Dogs in food service areas fall under Commonwealth legislation which sets out hygiene rules which only allow assistance animals in indoor dining areas. Outside, it is the responsibility of venues to decide how to manage dogs.”
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