The movement is already happening. Here is some of the recent coverage and the real changes that prove this is winnable.
The Roch Society's case for the campaign: food-safety rules written for commercial kitchens are being wrongly applied to bars and taprooms that prepare no food. It points to Ontario's 2019 exemption and proposes a voluntary safety standard, the Dog Friendly Barcode, to answer concerns about hygiene, allergies and staff.
Read at Roch Society →British Columbia allows dogs in just one taproom province-wide, Unleashed Brewing in Kelowna, while other health authorities ban them under identical food-safety rules. It argues the inconsistency makes no sense when beer is about as hostile to germs as a drink gets, and other provinces already allow it without incident.
Read at Roch Society →Bill 85 was sanctioned on 9 April 2025. Hotel and restaurant operators across Quebec can now invite dogs onto their terraces at their own discretion. The restaurant industry lobbied for it, the government did it. That is exactly the model this campaign is built on.
Read at AHQ →CTV reports on the March amendment to Bill 85, which gives dogs across Quebec the right to join their owners on restaurant terraces province-wide. The change was framed explicitly as red-tape reduction and a response to strong demand from tourists travelling with pets.
Read at CTV News →Ontario's government has put forward amendments to Food Premises Regulation 493/17 that would formally extend dog access to restaurant and bar patios. Already the most permissive province, Ontario is going further still. The consultation was live as of May 2026.
Read at CNIB →Despite a 2021 provincial rule change allowing dogs on patios, the Nova Scotia Department of Environment was still telling dog owners in 2025 that dogs are not permitted. Inconsistent enforcement province by province is exactly the problem a clear national standard would solve.
Read at The Coast →After Unleashed Brewing launched a petition when BC's Interior Health threatened to end a trial, the health authority reversed course and confirmed dogs could stay, with conditions. The first indoor dog-friendly brewery in BC proved it can be done within the existing legal framework.
Read at Global News →Since Bill 85 came into force, 65 percent of Quebec restaurants have welcomed dogs on their patios. Of those, 90 percent called the experience positive and nearly three quarters reported no issues at all. The Association Restauration Québec has created a signage system so visitors know which venues are in.
Read at MTL Blog →Every signature brings the next win closer. Add your name and help make news where you live.
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