(WSVN) - The Florida Department of Health has banned all Florida breweries from allowing dogs inside.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the state does not allow animals into places that sell food. Since most breweries do not offer food, many allow their patrons’ four-legged friends inside, rather than limiting them to outdoor patios.
The Department of Health sent letters to breweries throughout the Sunshine State, saying pets cannot enter their establishments because food is defined as “any raw, cooked, or processed edible substance, ice, beverage or ingredient used or intended for use in whole, or in part, for human consumption” under Florida’s administrative code on food hygiene.
The news came as a shock to many breweries in the Sunshine State.
Lincoln’s Beard Brewing Company in southwest Miami-Dade is one of many Florida breweries that took to Facebook to describe their disappointment and to share a petition seeking to allow pets into their establishments.
“We consider this is a small minded authoritarian approach since it has nothing to do with public health,” the petition reads. “Dogs have been a part of breweries since the time of the Ancient Egyptians and so far no one has suffered any kind of ailment as a result.”
As of Thursday morning, the petition had received over 20,000 signatures.
Service dogs are exempt from the ban.
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