Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed the Doggie Dining bill into law June 2, 2006. Restaurants, plenty of them, are poised, ready to begin serving both you and your pup. But something else needs to happen before this exciting opportunity becomes a reality - know what that is?

Your local government, whether it's a city council or a county commission, must now pass an ordinance allowing permits to be issued to restaurants wishing to participate. And, by the way, there is no application fee for the restaurants to apply for the permits.

People in quite a few cities see clearly the business advantages of offering doggie dining and they're already establishing the processes necessary to get things started. We're tracking the cities that are either seriously considering, have already started the paperwork, or have already completed the process to become one of the Cities in Florida Cool With Doggie Dining. We'll keep the list updated as we get information and if you know of a city that has "gone doggie dining", please let us know and we'll happily add it to our list.

Then, on the other hand, we've talked with officials from several more cities and were told some won't even consider doggie dining - unless residents and restaurants start requesting it, so...

Here are a few general tips to keep in mind when corresponding with local councils and commissions:

* For a list of your local city and/or county officials and their contact information, go to Congress.org. We tested out this site and the listings seem pretty current.

* Emails or faxes are preferable over snail mail - they'll get read quicker.

* Phone calls are considered interruptions. Many calls go to electronic mail boxes and messages left are too easily deleted.

* If you're going to fax your letter, typed rather than handwritten is best.

* If you are a restaurant, use your business stationary and fax your letter. If you are a restaurant, and either do not have stationary or your name does not indicate the nature of your business, strongly indicate in your letter that you are a restaurant.

* Be courteous in style and factual in content - convince without anger or argument!

* Letters should be no more than one page in length.

* Address letter to: The Honorable ____ [Title and Last Name]

* Begin letter with: Dear Council Member ____[Last Name]

* End letter with: Sincerely yours, ____[Your Full Name]

Officials hate form letters, so don't just copy another letter and send it. Here's a letter we wrote to our own county commissioners. If you'd like, use it as a go-by for your efforts, not forgetting to fill in your own area's specific info, i.e., names and titles (depending on whether you have a council or commission.) Also, write in your own words why you feel your city/county should allow restaurants the choice to offer outdoor doggie dining:

Dear [Council Member/Commissioner] ____,

Florida Gov. Jeb Bush signed into law Friday, June 2 a bill that allows local governments to issue permits to restaurants interested in allowing dogs to accompany their guardians in outdoor dining areas.

In light of this, I would like to formally and respectfully request that ____ [formal name of governing body, such as the Canine County Commission or the Feline City Council] begin the process necessary to start issuing permits to area restaurants that wish to participate in what is being called "doggie dining."

Although this measure, as any other, has its detractors, I see doggie dining as a win-win proposition, for the following reasons:

1) Participating restaurants will enjoy a cost-effective, revenue-generating opportunity. I am a small business owner and am quite aware those don't come along very often!

2) Customers with dogs will be happy to frequently patronize a business where their best pals are welcomed and accommodated. They know upfront they must be responsible for their dog or risk losing the opportunity presented to them by the participating restaurants. Therefore, they'll do whatever it takes to make their presence (and repeat visits) positive experiences for everyone involved.

3) Customers without dogs can be assured the restaurants will be required to have strict and specific controls for cleanliness. Additionally, the doggie dining bill requires all dogs to be leashed and under control and that's important to both dog people and non-dog people.

4) If you own or have ever owned a business, you can appreciate the bottom line of offering amenities. In this case, the bottom line of providing a spot for dogs to join their guardians is increased revenues, seen first by the restaurants. And what's good for restaurants is good for other area shops and businesses. And all of that provides increased revenue passed on through fees, taxes, etc., for the [city of ___ OR county of ____], monies which can then be used for various community projects or capital improvements.

5) Restaurants do not have to participate. They'll only apply for permits if they choose to participate. And nothing is carved in stone. The doggie dining bill is a trial program, set to begin July 1, 2006. After three years, the program can be continued - or ended - based on how responsible pet guardians have been and the public's general perception of the program's progress. I would like to see the [city of county of] ____ be part of what I feel will be a huge success and a boost to the balance sheets of many Florida businesses.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please contact me if you would like additional information or if you have any questions. I will follow up with you in a few days.

Sincerely,

____[Name]
____[Street Address and City]
____[Phone]
____[Email]

Contact the clerk prior to the council or commission's regular meeting within the time frame designated by the governing body - you can find out this info by calling your local city hall or county administrative offices. Be prepared to give the clerk a brief written description of the subject matter you wish brought before the council/commission, something like:

"I'd like to ask the ___[name of governing body, i.e. the council or the commission] to begin the process necessary for allowing restaurants to apply for permits allowing dogs to join their guardians in the restaurants' outdoor dining areas. This is a requirement of the bill Gov. Jeb Bush signed June 2."

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