News tipper my dad writes: "You won't believe this. New food-safety regs are coming from the King County health department (you know them, the busy-bodies with clipboards and thermometers). A lot of administrative jargon, some of it helpful, most of it petty, and one astonishing new definition of what constitutes a Service Animal." Read it yourselves:

New May 1! Service animals in food establishments will be defined ONLY as a dog (or miniature horse).

For food establishments only, a service animal can only be a dog (or miniature horse) that is individually trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. Disabilities include physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability, as specified in RCW 49.60.218.

Previous rules had "a much broader definition of service animals," explains Seattle/King County Public Health spokeswoman Hillary Karasz on the phone this afternoon. So while the old rules allowed you to waltz into Cowgirls Inc with your anti-anxiety service puma—or seeing eye mole—starting May 1, you can only take in your service dog (or miniature horse)!

Karasz explains a service horse is 24" to 34", measured at the shoulder, generally between 70 and 100 pounds. The change results from a cascade of policies that began as national adjustment to ADA standards, which were adopted into the state food code, and now give county officials leeway to only allow a service dog (or miniature horse).

Thank you, Ronald Holden!