11/5/2014
By Ivan Pereira
A Park Slope dog advocacy group is going to bat for one of the neighborhood’s bars after the city penalized it for allowing dogs inside.
A petition by the blog Park Slope for Pets to bring back pets back to The Gate, located on 321 5th Avenue, had more than 700 signatures as of Wednesday, according to the site’s editor Allison Hansen.
Hansen said it was wrong that the health department fined Bobby Gagnon, the bar’s owner, two weeks ago over his policy since no one ever complained in the past and patrons were comfortable with the pets.
“We understand the health department is doing their job but the community wants it,” she said.
A hearing over the fine is scheduled for this month, and the health department said the rules protect customers from potential risks.
“The rules regarding dogs in these establishments and the definition of food is consistent with both the New York State Sanitary Code and FDA guidelines,” the department said in a statement.
Hansen said she hopes to get 1,000 signatures and will push for the city to rethink its policy against pets in bars.
“We have hope this will become bigger,” she said.
