Editorial: Dogs in restaurants

Naples Mayor Bill Barnett had a point. When he described the defining moment that led him to oppose annexing Pelican Bay after favoring it for several years, Barnett put it this way: He already puts in a long day being the mayor of the city at the size it is today. If the city were to add an area the magnitude of Pelican Bay, there's no way he could respond to all constituents' requests for his time and attention and return their messages by the end of every day.

His point, told in a personalized way, was that he was not ready to see Naples stop being a small city, at least just yet. He said he believed most Naples residents felt the same way.

Now, on a less serious matter, Barnett again draws from personal experience. He uses the challenged deportment of his own two pets as the litmus test for whether Naples should allow restaurants to let dogs join their masters and mistresses dining at outdoor tables.

Actually, there is a double local option involved. New state law allows cities and counties to adopt rules which, in turn, would leave the decision up to individual restaurants.

If the mayor wishes to make public proclamations on canine culinary customs, all of us will listen closely. He is an authority on both canines as well as cuisine.

Yet, the good sport in him ought to recognize the recreational and personal enjoyment factors at play, and he ought to allow those to, ahem, fashion the fate of Fido on Fifth.