This Canada Restaurant Replaced Vaccine Card Requirements With Dog Photos

As cases of the Omicron variant continue to rise across the world, an eatery in Canada's Alberta province has found itself tackling an unexpected situation after it was revealed that the restaurant was blatantly ignoring pandemic protocols. According to a CNN report, The Granary Kitchen in Red Deer was told to temporarily close its doors after health officials discovered that guests were presenting pictures of their dogs instead of vaccination cards or negative COVID-19 test reports before entering the indoor dining area. 

Meanwhile, cases continue to grow at an exponential rate in different parts of the country: According to the Canadian government's official website, the total number of cases in Canada was estimated to be 2,822,614, as of January 18. The Province of Alberta has a Restrictions Exemption Program in place, which allows businesses to operate with fewer restrictions if they require proof of vaccination or a negative test result from all patrons above the age of 12 (via the province's website). Additionally, Albertans can also show a medical exemption document to gain access to eateries and bars. 

The Granary Kitchen shared its official response via Facebook on January 14 that read, "To our valued guests, we had an unfortunate circumstance at our front door which involved one of our underage hostesses, and the requirements for the REP program. We are taking the weekend to retrain and regroup." It added that the front staff is under "tremendous pressure" and guests are requested to be kind while interacting with them. 

According to a report by CBS News, two officials from Alberta Health Services visited The Granary Kitchen after they received complaints about the restaurant. Patrons at the restaurant were able "to dine-in when presented with a photograph of a dog and personal identification," according to the order written by the officials. It seemed like the eatery was able to resume its services yesterday when it added several posts urging diners to make reservations (via Facebook). Per CTV News Edmonton, Alberta Health Services organized a hearing with the restaurant's owners to ensure they understood the requirements of the Restrictions Exemption Program, namely that patrons have proof they are fully vaccinated, have tested negative, or have a medical exemption.

However, the eatery didn't hesitate to crack a joke in one of its recent Facebook posts that read, "Wing Wednesday is in effect today! All the flavors you love, and all enjoyment you can handle when dining in, and Wings ToGo are great too! Just ask for a Doggie Bag." A disgruntled commenter wrote a sarcastic comment, "Nice joke. I wonder what other health regulations you aren't following or don't take seriously."