McKinney Dog Lovers Want City To Allow Pets On Restaurant Patios

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McKINNEY (CBS11) - There's an old saying in politics, if you want a friend, get a dog. Now man's best friend is at the center of a growing political movement to increase the number of dog-friendly businesses.

It's not as though McKinney hates dogs. For years the city's annual Krewe of Barkus Parades has celebrated our four-legged friends.

But while Dallas, Plano, Frisco and other cities have adopted ordinances overriding the Texas Administrative Code's ban on dogs from restaurant patios, McKinney remains bound by state law.

"What if they said leave your kids at home? Okay. I don't see any reason why you have to leave your dog at home," Craig Farrar said.

Farrar and his wife own McKinney's Canine Cookie Company. They've long wanted dogs and dog owners to have more freedom, so they welcomed a local restaurant's recent Facebook post calling for an end to the ban in McKinney.

"Recently it was brought to our attention that folks were not happy that the City of McKinney did not have an exemption or a variance process, and so I think at this point it's started the conversation anew in the city of McKinney," McKinney's Executive Director of Development Services Michael Quint said.

The owner of Dempsey's Place in downtown McKinney told CBS11 after the outpouring of public support he received after posting about the city's threat to fine his restaurant for allowing dogs, he's hopeful a change is coming.

"If these people can't go and get something to eat or get something to drink because they can't bring their dogs, they're going to go someplace else which is bad for everybody," Farrar said.

Council member Tracy Rath tells CBS11, she's already started the process of bringing this issue to a vote and letting the public weigh in.

That could happen as early as next month.