The Florida Department of Health is appealing an administrative law judge’s ruling that backed Tampa and Orlando bars in a dispute about whether dogs should be allowed in the establishments.
The department on Friday filed a notice that is an initial step in challenging the ruling at the 1st District Court of Appeal.
Administrative Law Judge Lynne Quimby-Pennock issued a 29-page order last month that said the Department of Health had not adequately revised a rule to prevent Pups Pub Tampa and Pups Pub Orlando from allowing customers to bring pets to the dog-friendly bars.
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The case centered on sanitation certificates that county health departments, which are overseen by the state Department of Health, issue to establishments. Pups Pub Tampa, for example, was issued a sanitation certificate in December 2020, with an agreement that it would not serve food.
Also, the pub took steps such as installing a gate to keep dogs out of the drink-service area. But in June 2022, the Tampa bar was cited for a violation related to having dogs in the business.
The Orlando bar, meanwhile, received a sanitation certificate and opened in July 2022 but was cited for a violation less than a month later, according to Quimby-Pennock’s order.
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Quimby-Pennock ruled that the Department of Health did not properly go through a process to adopt a rule that would keep dogs out of the bars. As is common, the notice filed Friday did not detail arguments the department will make at the Tallahassee-based.
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