Betty’s day follows much like any other Collingwood inhabitant’s day.
In the morning, she heads to the cafe on the nearby street corner and greets the many regulars who call her over by name.
During the afternoon, she heads to the brewery down the road with her mum for a knock-off with the other locals. Staff tend to be fairly eager to bring her over some water, in order to get a quick cuddle in before getting back to work.
On Fridays, her mum takes her along for a meal at the pub. She sits quietly while her mum eats, but she nevertheless attracts the attention of patrons who praise how cute she is.
“Betty gets so excited when she meets new people that her butt wiggle is famous. She loves to wander around and greet everyone, give them kisses and get some treats, if she’s lucky,” Betty’s owner (or mum) Kate Loughney said.
Betty is Loughney’s three-year-old Beaglier who is a notable member of the Collingwood community — but whose lifestyle is under threat.
Loughney and others with four-legged friends have been told that Yarra City Council is trying to keep dogs out of food establishments.
According to an online petition on Change.org, started by Samuel Roundtree, Yarra Council has served several notices to food establishments.
The notices stated that due to “recent inspections and complaint investigations”, food establishments were reminded that despite the increasing availability of 'dog-friendly' options, it remains illegal for dogs to be present in any area where food is handled within food establishments.
But some in the Yarra community are pushing back.
“What inspired me [to start the petition] was a feeling that Council was interfering with local culture by policing something they've long ignored,” Roundtree says.
He says he felt the petition was a way to gauge local sentiment and understand where the community stood in relation to dogs being allowed in food establishments. He believed people would either ignore the petition and the issue it was addressing, or they would feel strongly opposed to what Yarra Council was doing.
Quickly, the petition caught the attention of Yarra residents and, within four days, supporters grew in number — by the thousands. By the time the petition was presented to Yarra Council at a September 12 Council meeting, it had garnered more than 11,000 signatures.
Council has yet to formally respond to the petition.
One Yarra resident who was interested in the petition is Mark Burrows, a lawyer who is well-versed in the area of trying to keep dogs welcome in food establishments.
In fact, the timing of the petition couldn’t have been better for Burrows, who reached out to Roundtree and requested the pair join forces in pushing for a change in Victorian legislation.
“I had been working on this [issue] for months,” Burrows says.
Over the years, he says, he and his dog have been turned away from several food establishments not because they had an issue with his dog, but on the basis the businesses were concerned about being fined.
“After having a number of those conversations over a number of months, I was like: what is this stupid law?”
Burrows says he submitted an application on September 1, requesting an amendment be made to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code that prohibits food businesses from allowing non-companion dogs in indoor dining areas. His application highlighted how the Code falls behind comparable jurisdictions like New Zealand and the EU, lacks strong scientific backing, and conflicts with international food standards.
Burrows's application remains under review.
La Trobe University food safety expert Susan McLeod told ABC Listen that while legislation states dogs are unable to be in enclosed spaces where food is prepared, city councils have a choice of whether or not to enforce the legislation.
“They could just choose to ignore it,” she told ABC Listen. “There really is very little harm that can happen from having dogs inside.”
McLeod says both people and businesses tend to be happier when dogs are allowed in venues.
Loughney agrees.
“I live alone so not being able to bring [Betty] would impact how and when I could leave the house,” she says.
“Also it’s a great way to meet people and strike up conversations.”
It can also be good for business, according to Guy Barker, employee at dog-friendly Yarra cafe Little Green Obsession.
He says the business has experienced an increase in foot traffic, due to Little Green’s allowance of dogs, and that most people are happy to see dogs in the establishment.
“It's certainly affected our business in a positive way in terms of customers coming through the door,” Barker says.
He says if the business was forced to keep dogs out, people would stop coming all together or find other options.
Despite having been issued one of Yarra Council’s notices, Barker says Little Green Obsession is maintaining its dog-friendly policy.
This is in line with other food establishments in Yarra, which have developed a similar form of resistance by encouraging locals to continue bringing their dogs inside.
As one employee, who preferred not to be named, at a Yarra food establishment said: “They can’t fine all of us.”
When asked for comment, Yarra City Council pointed to its September 12 statement, which clarifies that Council has issued a “friendly reminder to restaurant owners about dogs and food safety”, and its objective is to inform businesses about legislation prohibiting dogs in food preparation areas, with the desire to assist them in avoiding potential penalties.
As for Betty, she remains blissfully unaware that her VIP status is up for debate.
For all she knows, she is still the star of the show, according to Loughney.
“When we’re on our walks, we have to stop in to say 'hi' to all her favourite people, in cafes, shops and bars,” she says.
“If I’m walking alone people approach me concerned for her welfare. I need to warn anyone who’s looking after her about her fan club.”
