Pinellas County Passes New Law On Pet Stores

The Pinellas Board of County Commissioners passed some updates to the county's laws regarding pet stores that sell dogs and cats.

A one-year moratorium in Pinellas County on expansion of retail stores was passed in December 2021 in response to animal advocates. The county then did research on the pet sales industry. After going over the results, these new regulations were approved by the county.

The new, stricter rules include not allowing any new pet stores that sell dogs or cats. Existing stores will be grandfathered in. "Hobby breeders who produce no more than two litters or 20 dogs or cats per year" are not affected by these changes.

According to a release from the Pinellas Board of County Commissioners, the new ordinance covers the county, though local cities and towns may create stricter laws. Several cities already have bans on sales of commercially bred pets. Those include St. Petersburg, Safety Harbor and Dunedin. Largo already had a ban in place on new stores.

The new rules allow existing pet stores to continue to operate, but may not expand their floor space for pet sales. They may also move to new locations, but only if they reduce the number of kennels on their sales floor. No sales from parking lots or flea markets are allowed. Also, all of for each puppy sold, the commercial pet retail stores must submit certification to Pinellas County Animal Services.
[Source: TBNWeekly.com]

The Tampa area has a huge variety of dining opportunities. With that comes the choice of appetizers for those dining experiences. What are some of the favorite appetizers from around the Tampa Bay area?

Tell us if you've tried any of these and where your favorite is served.

This recent addition to Dunedin offers this take on a Maine favorite. It's called the 'Lobster Street Corn Fritters." According to the menu at Prohibition Kitchen, it's made of Maine lobster, brown butter, fried corn bread, lime chipotle crema, queso fresco, pickled onions, corn pico and micro cilantro.

Black Rock Bar & Grill is a bit of a novelty restaurant where you can cook your own meal on a volcanic stone heated to 755°. This includes several of their appetizers, including the "Black Rock Dueling Pretzel & Cheese Fondue." If you enjoy pretzels, it comes with sliced up soft pretzels to dip in your choice of two heated dips: house-made white garlic cream cheese and nacho cheese fondue. The two dips are heated on Black Rock's volcanic stone.

Datz is a south Tampa deli and 'gastropub.' Their South Howard twist on their menu means their appetizers also need to be special. It's the only place you'll find 'Datchos', thier own classic version of nachos. They are made from 'house-made sweet-n-salty chips', chili, cheese, jalapeño, sour cream, blue cheese and scallions. Add pulled pork, chicken or short rib for an extra flavor experience.

The Public House has won accolades from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Nextdoor, SRQ20 and even Tripadvisor.com's Traveler's Choice. One of the ways they get all this attention is their amazing food. The Public House Nachos, made with crispy white corn tortilla chips, smothered with white queso sauce, fresh pico de gallo, cheddar cheese, jalapeños, sour cream, guacamole and ciantro, can be topped with ground beef or chicken.

Walk-Ons offers a taste of New Orleans in one of the fastest growing chains in the country. There's not much that says 'New Orleans' more than an appetizer of alligator, hand battered with a delicious dip.

Yes, they brew their own beer (and root beer) but their wide selection of menu choices makes BJ's a stand-out. One of which is the Ahi Poke Tacos, with crispy shells, sashimi-grade ahi tuna, green onions, poke sauce, sriracha aioli and wasabi guacamole to dip.

You can't go wrong ordering chips, and Stonewood Grill & Tavern has a flavorful 'Bleu Cheese Chips' appetizer. Made with bleu cheese crumbles, balsamic drizzle, bleu cheese aioli and fresh rosemary and thyme, it's a great lead in to a steak dinner.

Seafood lovers have something to start their meal off with at Grillsmith in Wesley Chapel. The 'Blue Crab & Shrimp Cakes' are made with jumbu lump blue crab and shrimp, sriracha aioli and mango ginger salsa.

After you let the cheese melt into the dip, dig deep for the hot crab with an endless supply of tortilla chips. Then, enjoy the rest of the seafood staples from Pinchers' menu.

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