Among the numerous bills Governor Greg Abbott has signed in the last few days, one that sings to the hearts of many canine-loving Texans is Senate Bill 476. The Governor signed it into law and now dog owners may bring their pet dogs out to eat with them. This is good for out-door patio dining with restaurants that want to let customers bring their dogs in.
"There's not much that beats enjoying a beautiful Texas day on a patio with friends and family, man's best friend included," said Senator Kelly Hancock. "This bill simply leaves it to restaurants to decide if they want to welcome dogs in outdoor areas and gets excessive government regulation out of the way."
Hancock said this bill is important because certain cities have enacted restrictions on restaurants that allow dogs including dog variance applications, periodic fees, extra inspections and burdensome rules and regulations. A restaurant still has full discretion on whether it wants to allow dogs or not and dogs are still not allowed to go inside the restaurant.