Dog lovers are furious after a popular café in South Australia was forced to ban dogs indoors following just one public complaint.
Kellie Hunter, owner of Same But Different Café in the tourist town of Hahndorf, said she was devastated after being ordered by the Mount Barker District Council to stop allowing dogs inside the premises.
The café had welcomed pets indoors for more than three years and had become a favourite spot among locals and tourists, especially during colder months.
However, the issue surfaced in May after the council received a complaint claiming dogs inside the café posed “public health risks”.
Hunter initially continued allowing dogs but later backed down after receiving an official warning and being threatened with a AU$2,500 fine for future breaches.
“As a small business owner, it was something I simply couldn’t afford,” she said.
“I was mortified and angry when I first found out. During all our yearly health inspections, we always received five-star ratings and nobody ever raised this issue before.”
Hunter argued that hygiene concerns should not apply in the same way because the café’s kitchen is located downstairs and far from the indoor seating area where dogs were allowed.
The ban has already affected business as winter approaches, with customers no longer able to bring their pets indoors to escape the cold weather.
A handwritten sign placed outside the café blamed the situation on “one person complaining” after more than three years of smooth operations.
Hunter vowed to continue fighting the decision and said she would “exhaust all avenues” to reverse the ban.
The local community quickly rallied behind the café owner, with an online petition attracting nearly 3,000 supporters demanding authorities reconsider the ruling.
Supporters argued that pet-friendly cafés help promote tourism, strengthen social connections and support local businesses.
Despite the backlash, Mount Barker Council said it had no authority to exempt individual businesses from national food safety laws.
Council planning and community general manager Natalie Armstrong confirmed the issue had never previously been identified during inspections but stressed that environmental health officers are legally required to enforce food safety regulations.
She explained that restrictions on animals inside food premises are part of national legislation aimed at protecting public health rather than a policy unique to the council.
Hunter, however, believes Australia is “going backwards” compared to other countries where dogs are commonly allowed inside pubs and cafés alongside their owners.
The controversy has sparked heated debate online over whether pet-friendly cafés should be given greater flexibility, especially in tourist areas where such venues are increasingly popular.
