Keep the pet ban

The Orlando City Council wants the local legislative delegation to get Orlando exempted from the law that bans pets from restaurants – something that is being widely contested.
Proponents of the exemption insist that allowing dogs in restaurants would enhance downtown’s cosmopolitan atmosphere – and some restaurants even offer canine menus for those cutomers with dogs.
However, the opposition maintains that the presence of dogs in the dining areas could inadvertently contaminate food with potentially deadly food-borne germs.
The restaurant pet ban was initially based on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration food code. That code bans dogs from restaurants because they shed constantly and their fur, which sometimes is soiled with feces and other unsanitary substances, can easily blow onto food and dining tables. What’s more, some dogs are infected with salmonella.
The existing restaurant law does make an exception for service animals, such as specially trained dogs that help blind people.