Debate over presence of dogs in pubs

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It was midway through my breakfast burrito that I became aware the stranger across a communal table was staring at me, panting.

His red-rimmed eyes were fixed, unblinking as drool yo-yoed from his open mouth.

As the slobber pooled on the table we were sharing, he bared his pointed teeth and let out a low growl.

I was scared … for me, and my burrito.

We were at Preston Market, just metres past one of many “No Dogs” signs that are spread throughout the “pet-free” venue.

I don’t care that people bring their dogs to the market, especially considering it’s semi-open air. I don’t care that pubs and cafes welcome pups into beer gardens and outdoor gardens. In general, I like dogs.

But I do object most strenuously to sharing a table with a slavering monstrosity that probably rolls in its own poop.

And I do object to dogs being allowed inside venues where food is prepared and served or, in the case of another dog I ran into at a butcher shop last weekend, sold.

But it appears I am fighting a losing battle.

On Thursday, the Labor government promised to amend a 1984 ban on dogs in pubs as part of a shake-up of hospitality regulations.

Some praised the change as a win for social connection that had apparently been woefully absent for some 42 years. Others said it would be good for business. I’m left wondering whether I’ll be safe from dogs and their slobber anywhere at all.

No one likes to think their beloved pet is unhygienic.

I should know because every day as I battle chronic hay fever, I tell myself that my house filled with cat fur is not the cause.

To us pet owners, our cats and dogs are perfect, clean creatures who do no wrong, even when they kick litter around the bathroom, or dig another hole in the garden.

We accept the scooping of poop and slobbery dog kisses, because we love our pets. But that doesn’t mean the rest of the world feels the same way.

Call me a cat lover but dogs owners especially seem to forget this, thinking instead that their furry friend makes the perfect addition to any space they’d like to visit, from ice cream shops to workplaces.

When I was aged about six, I witnessed a dog viciously bite my dad as he tried to ask the owner to restrain it near my elderly nanna. From then on, I was deathly scared of all dogs.

My fear was paralysing to the extent that I had to be carried away, crying, from a Maltese shih tzu when I was 10. For years I would cower as people allowed their off-leash dogs to jump up and greet me in public, while the owners shouted from afar that they were friendly.

Severe fear of dogs, or cynophobia, is not rare, affecting an estimated one in 20 Australians. And it’s common for these individuals to avoid parks, beaches and public spaces where dogs might be allowed off-leash. For these people, Premier Ben Carroll’s announcement won’t be welcome news. It might add pubs to their list of dangerous dog places.

People, especially children, have all kinds of fears and phobias, and I acknowledge it’s not practical to cater to everyone’s needs and desires.

But that doesn’t mean dog owners are entitled to act like their pets deserve entry into every shop they desire to attend, regardless of how those around them might feel.

My level of doggy discomfort is not high enough that I will avoid a pub that allows them in. But I still won’t be keen to stare across the table at their drool while I’m eating my parma and chips.

Sophie Boyd is The Age’s social media editor.

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