TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Pups Pub in Tampa is preparing to close its doors this weekend after losing a legal battle with the state over its dog-friendly indoor operations.
The business, which allows dogs to roam freely both inside and outside its premises, initially won a lawsuit in 2023 that permitted non-service animals indoors. But the Florida Department of Health appealed the decision and won.
A state court ultimately ruled that the Department of Health has the authority to prohibit non-service animals inside any food service business, effectively banning the indoor-outdoor dog bar model.
“To use the term divide and conquer, they picked one entity,” attorney Gary De Pury, at De Pury Law told News Channel 8. “They went through the entire legal battle in order to create all the legal prec