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Selective health enforcement

If you Google “dog friendly restaurants in Spokane” you will find 41 eateries listed that welcome dogs at their outdoor dining tables. Cool.

I own the Rock City Grill on 57th and Regal. Last summer we promoted Pooches on the Patio, welcoming quiet, well-behaved, leashed dogs on our outdoor patio.

Our patio has an outside gate, so the canines never step foot in the main restaurant or come anywhere near food preparation.

Well, one person complained.

We never had a single problem. No barking, no “accidents” and no disruption to other diners. Spokane County Health, who received the complaint, told us to stop immediately or we would be fined.

Dogs are allowed all over town, including across the street from us!

I told them this and the answer was “We haven’t received a complaint about the others. Sorry.”

Really? Isn’t this selective enforcement?

County Health is hurting my business and giving an unfair advantage to competitors.

Please, Health Department, do the right thing. Enforce no dogs for all of us or none of us.

Just seems fair.

Rose Rhoades

Spokane



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