Do mugs and mutts mix?

A tv news report tonight (video link here) revealed that Beveridge Place Pub lets people bring in their dogs. Certainly they’re not alone; we were startled when we dropped into C & P Coffee for the first time, back during our Post-Windstorm Wi-Fi Fest, and discovered dogs wandering around from patron to patron. Now, we love all God’s creatures and all that, but not enough to have them sniffing our toes (or worse) while we’re out just trying to enjoy a beverage. (People in the tv story were quoted as saying, “Well, it’s better than leaving the dogs out in the cold.” To which we say, “Why not leave them back in your warm cozy home, then? They’re not like kids — they don’t require a babysitter in order for you to go out without them.”) What do you think?

23 Replies to "Do mugs and mutts mix?"

  • Deliboy January 24, 2007 (9:30 pm)

    It’s their business (in both senses of the phrase). If they think it helps or doesn’t hurt their bottom line, or just promotes the atmosphere they want, they can make their own rules.

  • Bubba January 24, 2007 (9:31 pm)

    One of the (many) reasons I like Beveridge Place is that I can bring my dog. I would NEVER let him wander and sniff toes and more though; I don’t think that is proper at all. It sounds like the legislation will just allow individual owners to decide for their own establishment, which would mean that they would also have some responsibility for maintaining good behavior (like any other patron).

    The service dog clause is very easy to take advantage of (as I understand it). basicly if you claim your dog is a service dog then By Law no one can really question the status or situation.

  • blah January 24, 2007 (9:38 pm)

    “It’s their business (in both senses of the phrase).”

    Agreed. So why can’t they choose to allow smokiing??

    What if a customer is alergic to dogs? Fine, they can go elsewhere. What if an employee is? That’s the anti-smoking arguement.

    I personally don’t have a problem with it – I just can’t stand the hypocracy of anyone who would argue for dogs and at the same time say smokers gotta stand outside.

    Personally, if I were a business owner, I wouldn’t want to take the risk of potential lawsuit if something happened to one of my customers (dog bite, etc.).

    I say, it’s a free country (unless you’re a smoker or in the strip club biz!)

  • Dji January 24, 2007 (10:14 pm)

    It’s kind of ironic that Beverage Place Pub was featured in the report for allowing dogs. A quick search turned up this article from August, which shows a photo of a “No dogs allowed” sign on the wall of…you guessed it…Beverage Place Pub!

    http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2003168225_dogs02.html

  • The House January 24, 2007 (10:24 pm)

    I’ve been to the Beveridge Place a few times, but never seen dogs. If I did, I’d accidently spill my beer on it. Don’t get me wrong, I love animals (dogs and cats), but why the hell do people feel like they have to bring them everywhere. I can’t walk into Home Depot without some idiot bringing their dog in with them. Keep in mind I’ve seen people with their dogs in HD where there are chemicals that could harm them. Buy your dog a can of Alpo and leave them at home.

  • Dog Lover January 25, 2007 (8:48 am)

    When dog allergies become the leading cause of preventable death in this country, you can start comparing them to smokers. Besides, most dogs are more well mannered and smell better than some of the people in the bar at the end of the night.

  • MG January 25, 2007 (9:27 am)

    Dogs Rule! Lighten up.

  • Sue January 25, 2007 (9:33 am)

    I am not a dog lover, and I’m also allergic to them. If a business I patronized allowed dogs inside (other than service animals), I would not patronize that business anymore. I went to C&P the other day for the first time and was greeted by two dogs. I left soon after, rather than relaxing in there with my laptop. I’ll go elsewhere, where dogs are not allowed.

    I was shocked the first time someone got on a bus with a dog, and even more shocked when I realized it’s actually allowed. One morning two people had dogs on leashes, and they had a fight in the back of the bus. Another morning the owner allowed their dog to jump all over the seat. This is ridiculous and should not be allowed.

  • DW January 25, 2007 (9:54 am)

    I’ve actually stopped going to the Beveridge Place Pub as much since they banned non-service dogs. It was great to be able to take my dog down, hang out and have a beer. I hope they are allowed to switch their policy back soon.

  • Jiggers January 25, 2007 (9:56 am)

    Ok, I love animals but I don’t want autt drooling next to my feet or rubbing me while I’m trying to enjoy my drink. There are health board related issues in this matter. Who cares if the dog has to be tied up outside to wait for its owner. That’s not my fault.

  • chet_desmond January 25, 2007 (10:12 am)

    Totally agree Sue.

  • JD January 25, 2007 (11:05 am)

    I think its great, and its the pub owner’s right if they want to allow dogs.

  • KG January 25, 2007 (11:52 am)

    We used to go to BPP with our dog all of the time. We kept her on her leash and if she wasn’t behaving she did go outside. We were bummed to find out awhile back that they couldn’t allow dogs anymore, but we still hang out there. We go for the beer and the games…not to hang out with our dog! But it was a nice extra.

  • Sandy January 25, 2007 (12:08 pm)

    Given the fact that the majority of establishments do not allow dogs it seems that there are plenty of places for people who would rather not be around dogs to patronize and much fewer for those of us that like to take our dogs with us to patronize. My dogs are home alone all day, I welcome any opportunity to spend more time with them. Being able to also enjoy a cup of coffee or a beer at the same time would especially be a plus?

    Personally, any well behaved dog would be preferrable to the obnoxious kid that insisted on running around his table (next to ours) at the Elliot Bay Brew Pub a few weeks ago, while the parents lamely kept telling him to sit down, but we’re supposed to be perfectly okay with that.

  • Michelle January 25, 2007 (12:45 pm)

    I have taken my dog to BPP in the past but he has always been leashed and has stayed at my table with me. I think that as long as dog owners are responsible and make sure their dogs behave they should be allowed to take them places where the management allows it. However, I do not automatically assume my dog will be welcome inside every business that I enter and will leave him at home or in the car unless I know without a shadow of a doubt that he will be welcome there. All of the dog owners that I know are very conscientious of the fact that not everyone is a dog lover and thus keep control of their dogs anytime they are in public. It would be nice if all parents were as concerned about the disruption their children can cause in public. As far as the health reasons go, I’d definitely prefer to go somewhere that had had a dog lying on the floor than a place where a dirty, germy kid had been crawling all over the seats and the table and god knows what else. I know that the majority of parents make sure their children behave in public – but the few who don’t are much more visible and memorable. I think that the similar minority of dog owners are to blame for the perception of dogs in public.

  • Lil January 25, 2007 (1:22 pm)

    I agree with Sandy. There are tons of establishments that do not allow dogs. If you don’t like dogs, don’t patronize those businesses. If we ban everything that a few people find annoying, we’ll be left with nothing to do.

  • blah January 25, 2007 (1:42 pm)

    Dog Lover – such a typical Seattle response. So it is the people who don’t care for dogs or who are allergic to dogs that have to deal with it.

    But, when you have the opportunity to refuse to patronize a private business due to them choosing to allow smoking, it is off to the legislature for some kind of law.

    Typical.

  • Dawson January 25, 2007 (7:43 pm)

    blah.

    Actually the Seattle response would be to vote on it…4 or 5 times, then get the city council to authorize a special vote, resend the offer and get the governor to call for one. You are comparing smoking, which is proven to cause health problems, with something that is not neccessarily going to. Unless of course you have an allergy at which point it will depend on the severuty of that allergy. No one forces you to consume your discretionary funds where you don’t want to.

  • WS Guy January 25, 2007 (11:18 pm)

    I do not like dogs.

  • The House January 25, 2007 (11:23 pm)

    What next people bringing their pot bellied pigs, chickens, snakes, etc.?

    I like my original idea of simply pouring beer on any animal I see in a bar or may I suggest using them as a urinal….the fur really does a fine job of soaking it up. :)

  • Monty January 28, 2007 (9:09 pm)

    The House— I think you’re on to something. Next time I smell someone’s rancid cigarette due to no choice of my own, I’ll simply urinate on their face. The tobacco should do a fine job of soaking it up, and they’ll smell better too! :)

  • Administrator January 28, 2007 (9:33 pm)

    Actually the person who tossed a burning cigarette butt out his/her car window in The Junction this weekend, practically at our feet (“our” includes a young family member), deserves that kind of treatment. Not only was it close enough to set us on fire, we had to step a couple yards away from the crosswalk to get out of the range of secondhand smoke. We’re ex-smokers but we were CONSIDERATE smokers in our day.

  • RmF February 1, 2007 (5:35 pm)

    “I personally don’t have a problem with it – I just can’t stand the hypocracy of anyone who would argue for dogs and at the same time say smokers gotta stand outside.”

    – The fact that the BPP allows “service dogs” to come in with their respective humans doesn’t necessarily imply that anyone (with or without a dog) voted for the smoking ban. quite honestly, that was a state wide vote…… so I don’t see how the two really have anything to do with each other.

    “Actually the person who tossed a burning cigarette butt out his/her car window in The Junction this weekend, practically at our feet (”our” includes a young family member), deserves that kind of treatment. Not only was it close enough to set us on fire, we had to step a couple yards away from the crosswalk to get out of the range of secondhand smoke. We’re ex-smokers but we were CONSIDERATE smokers in our day.”

    okay two things on that comment….
    1) have you sereiously ever seen anyone catch fire from a cigarette butt.
    2) as far as a considerate smoker – I totally agree with that part. it WAS rude to flick one at you (and your “young family member”) I think thats honestly more of a problem with how we raise our kids, but thats a whole different debate. I am both a considerate smoker, and, quite frankly, enjoy going outside for a smoke… but I don’t think the person next to me needs to suffer for it. its easy to stand downwind, and dispose of your butt elsewhere!

    as far as all the people saying they don’t want to go out to the bar with dogs “sniffing at their feet” or “wandering around from patron to patron”:
    honestly, in all my time going to the BPP (almost daily for about 4 years) I have almost NEVER experienced a dog “wandering around” – quite the opposite, at the BPP, except for a few exceptions, a leash-and-by-you law is strictly enforced. also, a barking dog, a brawling dog, an over excited dog…. they all get kicked out. there are more rigid standards for behavior in the pub than there are for most dogs at home. not only that, if you don’t want to be around dogs….. West Seattle has a multitude of bars, most of which don’t allow dogs….. its unfortunate to think that someone is so anti-animal that they can’t put up with someone having a well behaved, quiet animal at another table, or under the table by the couch…

    For all you “Dog Allergic” People…. I truly am sorry, and understand fully your problems with it!
    however, I don’t know a solution (not a doctor, don’t know how to cure allergies.) that being said, so I don’t sound like I don’t care about someone’s physical problems. heh. good thing there are tons of nice relaxing places in West Seattle, I guess.

Sorry, comment time is over.