Dog Gone It
GOT A PET PEEVE?
Somehow word has gotten around that the Little Italy Mercato is pet friendly. It's easy to understand how that's happened. Little Italy is possibly the most dog-centric neigborhood in San Diego, despite the small condos that provide most of our housing. Our market is on a city street, and plenty of our neighbors pass by on their way to the de facto dog park at Washington Elementary School. Vendors offer natural pet food, treats, and pet portraits in Amici Park at the market just east of State Street. And our staff is a dog loving bunch outside the market.
But CalCode, the set of regulations that govern food safety at restaurants, grocery stores and yes, farmers' markets and special events, is not so pet friendly. While not restricting service animals, those regulations require that live animals be kept 20 feet from places where food is prepared or stored for sale to the public. In a crowded market like ours, that's tough to accomplish if you're bringing your dog along to help you shop.
Aside from the health regulation issue, the Little Italy farmers' market with its amazing farmers and vendors, live music, and water view is a popular place. It attracts a whole lot of shoppers and Date Street can get tricky to maneuver, even without leashes and dogs below eye level making things harder. We don't want a shopper to trip and injure themselves or one of our canine friends. Pets can be stressed out in large crowds of unfamiliar people and may act unpredictably. That can't be fun for you or your dog.
So while we will never restrict service animals, and won't put you in an embarrassing or stressful situation by asking if your dog is serving a purpose covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, we have posted larger signs reminding you of health code requirements, and we are asking our patrons to shop responsibly so the market can provide a pleasant experience for everyone. Because our two-legged and four-legged friends all deserve that treat!
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I really hope people with dogs read this and respect the rules. I love dogs and enjoy seeing other people's dogs but not when I am buying or eating food. I go to the Little Italy farmers market and I do serious shopping there (buy weekly fruits and veggies, cheese, bread, etc). I also bring my two little girls who are well behaved and like going so they can eat fresh fruit and cheese. The dogs are becoming more than a nuisance. It's gross when dogs come up and lick my girls food (happens a lot) or when a dog sticks their nose in my grocery bags. But worse, I see dogs fighting a lot and some dogs have snipped at my girls hands. I really hope the market enforces the rules so that everyone can shop in a clean, safe and fun environment.
Well, there's no health code that prevents strollers, but we do hope that everyone stays aware of their children's safety as well. As with anything, there are some parents - and dog owners - who do a better job of that than others. Thanks for your comment!
I live on Beech, have a big dog and cruise through there most Saturdays with her. Oddly, I am not opposed to tighter restrictions on dogs in the area. I love that Little Italy is so dog friendly, but with that freedom comes a lot of irresponsible owners. The Mercator is a place for consumers and businesses. I like the post. It's more of a caution and warning to be considerate than an in-your-face mandate. D'accordo.
On another note, I think the area should start enforcing some other rules like not letting your pooch piss on the side walk. When it drys and gets hot, it stinks. There are plenty of dirt patches around so if you want to have a dog in the city, train it to pee in the dirt. Hrumph!
Thanks, that's what we were going for, just a request that everyone play by the rules and think about your fellow market-goers. We love seeing the well-behaved pups, but it's especially sad to see the dogs who are all stressed out by the crowd and have owners who don't seem to know how to handle that.
Well said. It is getting more and more difficult to navigate the crowds and pets are causing problems. Frankly, it's getting to the point that people are bring their dogs to show them off. Especially when they arrive in their own vehicles. Thanks for bringing this up!
Thanks for commenting. We all love watching the cute dogs but we have to keep things safe for everyone.
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