The weather is warming up and spring is just around the corner, which makes it a perfect time to head out to City Market on a Saturday morning. If you're a regular, you know why it's such a pleasant place to start your weekend: fresh food, lots of delicious choices and an interesting, eclectic crowd of people. But the crowd is about to change a bit. The human visitors will stay the same, but their canine companions are getting the boot.

This year, for the first time, dogs and any other pets are not allowed in City Market. Now, at some places that may not be a big deal, but in River Market it's a VERY big deal. Pets, dogs in particular, are a common sight at the farmer's market and even at the restaurants nearby. They've been a major part of the scene, as owners bring them along on their quest to pick up some fresh produce and grab a bit of ethnic food.

The managers of City Market told me late last week it was a very difficult decision that they've been considering for years. They said they are dog lovers themselves, but recent events forced their hands. Some people were bringing 3, 4, even 5 dogs at a time to the market. That's tough to manage in any situation, but in the sometimes cramped quarters at the market, it's nearly impossible. Also, there have been problems with aggressive dogs, including several biting incidents, and finally, yes, the dogs have been marking their territory in places that are definitely not their territory.

Vendors at City Market have very mixed feelings about the pet ban. Some have complained about the dogs, but others now fear they'll lose business. I talked to a restaurant manager who thinks it's a horrible idea. She estimates half her clients bring along their dogs at least some of the time. She allowed them to sit on the restaurant's patio.

I have no doubt this will raise the dander of pet owners, many of whom will be shocked to discover a member of their family is now banned from their favorite farmer's market. So what do I think of all this? Well, I'm going to flip flop a bit on this one. I think both sides have legitimate concerns. The managers have a business to run where they need to keep all customers healthy and safe. At the same time, if I'm a dog owner who enjoys taking Fido with me to City Market, I may find some other place to buy my celery.

I guess I'll leave it at this: if some pet owners (who I believe are the vast minority) would have kept better control of their pets, the ban would probably not have been necessary. Now it's been ruined for everyone.