Restaurant accepted dog photos as proof of COVID vaccination, Canada officials say

A “sophisticated” restaurant in western Canada was forced to close its dining room after officials said they learned dog photos were being accepted as proof customers had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Alberta Health Services ordered The Granary Kitchen in Red Deer to cease indoor service Jan. 14, and stay closed until its staff could be retrained. Red Deer is in Alberta, between Edmonton and Calgary.

The discovery was made after the health department said it received complaints restaurant employees were not properly screening patrons for proof of vaccination or testing negative for COVID-19.

“Specifically, complaints were received ... that employees are allowing patrons to dine-in when presented with a photograph of a dog and personal identification,” the health department wrote in its closure order.

“An investigation was conducted on January 11th, 2022 and the complaints were validated by two test shoppers as they were both able to enter and dine-in at the above noted establishment after presenting a photograph of a dog (as a substitute for proof of vaccination/QR code).”

The “test shoppers” went to the restaurant at different times, officials added.

Health department officials declared the restaurant’s lax screening approach as “dangerous to the public health” because it hindered “the prevention or suppression of disease.”

The Restrictions Exemption Program, which went into effect Sept. 20 in Alberta, allows for businesses to operate with fewer restrictions “if they require patrons 12 and over to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test result.”

Canada has documented about 2.85 million cases of COVID-19 and 32,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

The restaurant’s dining room was allowed to reopen this week, according to the Calgary Sun. The restaurant took a low key approach to the reopening, posting only that The Granary Kitchen was again taking reservations.

“We had an unfortunate circumstance at our front door which involved one of our underage hostesses, and the requirements for the (Restrictions Exemption Program),” the restaurant wrote Jan. 14 on Facebook.

“We are taking the weekend to retrain and regroup. We look forward to serving you again as soon as we are ready to reopen. In closing we would like to remind everyone of the tremendous pressure being placed on front staff, and please remember to be kind.”

The restaurant describes itself as one that caters to locally sourced ingredients with an ambiance that “is sophisticated, yet relaxed.”

This story was originally published January 20, 2022 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Restaurant accepted dog photos as proof of COVID vaccination, Canada officials say."