What exactly is the legislation , if any , about bringing dogs inot places that serve food ?

[Avantia]

This has been on my mind for a while and a current AIBU prompted me to post .

Now some places that serve food will allow dogs so can;t see that there is any Food Hygiene 'legislation' about dogs and food are not to mix .

I was in a 'temporary' cafe over Christmas , one setup next to an ice rink. We were sat by the door and dog was lying on floor quietly (no doubt licking up crumbs !) and after a while we were told that no dogs were allowed - as they 'served food '. We had finished anyway so left , no signs up etc.

On the other hand there is a bistro cafe near me that I sat outside onece with kids and dog and I asked my one of my children if he could go in and get the bill - he camje out and said that I could go in with the dog - they had no problem with dog and ' served food'.

So if dog is under control and house trained where do we dog owners stand if we are told no dogs as we 'serve food ' ?

[Avantia]

BTW I am not out to barge into every resturant and cafe with my dog - but if signs are up then no problem but when people spout' no dogs allowed as we serve food '- that is obviuolsy not right as it is not across the board - I would just like a smart arse answer

Off to walk the dog .

[Vallhala]

There is no legislation and a dog's entry onto or into a premises which serves food is entirely at the discretion of the proprietor. The food establishment must comply with general Food Safety Act legislation (and subsequenr Food Safety Regulations) to prevent contamination of the food they prepare and serve but there#s nothing in law to prevent you taking your dog into the Ivy. :)

My best friend is a former hotelier and restaurant owner. His view, I recall, was that whilst the Environmental Health department would have little or no issue with his or my dog sitting beside us in the restaurant area they would be a bit more concerned if the dog were licking the plates in the kitchen! That said, I have friends who own a very upmarket Cotswolds hotela and whose two cocker spaniels are, when not running madly, to be found in their baskets in the hotel's kitchen.

[meditrina]

I believe it is up to the proprietor, except for assistance dogs which must be allowed in to all businesses (with a few rare exceptions for specialist wildlife centres where a canine presence would genuinely cause distress).

[Avantia]

Thank you - I would rather propreitors say or have signs up 'No Dogs ' but to spout beause ' we serve food' is somewhat annnoying - next time I will ask whether they choose not to have dogs or what the legislation is and see if they make it up

[wannaBe]

afaik while there is no legislation as such, generally it is a part of the terms of your health and hygiene certificate that animals are not permitted in the areas where food is prepared, so wouldn't be allowed in the kitchen.

However it is down to the discretion of the owner of the eating establishment as to whether dogs be allowed in the actual restaurant - they cannot refuse assistance dogs but they can other dogs and as restaurants are private property that is their right.

There are some places such as cadbery world where even assistance dogs are not permitted in certain parts due to the fact the chocolate is being prepared/packed there.

I imagine if environmental health walked into the kitchen of a hotel and there were dogs there they might well not be happy.

My guide dog is not permitted in the school kitchen (we use it for PTA functions) because of the terms of the health and hygiene cert.

[Vallhala]

Daft, really, isn't it wannabe? I bet your Guide Dog goes wandering in your own kitchen and I'm equally sure that he/she hasn't caused you to keel over with salmonella yet too!

On a comical note, another friend owns a pub/restaurant. She used to employ a wonderfully amusing German chef whose grasp of English was sometimes somewhat dubious.

Having found my friend's Papillon running around the pub's kitchen one evening, Hans came stomping out and exclaimed in his stereotypical German accent, "Zat bloody dog! If the environmental health officer-man he come here, he see zat dog in der kitchen, he would fuck himself!". :o

So, I guess you're right about the terms of an establishment's health and hygiene certificate. :o

[BelieveInLife]

I can't believe people are bothered about this. The post in AIBU really surprised me, I never imagined anyone would bat an eyelid to a dog in a pub. Round here Sunday lunch in the pub is as much a social experience for the dogs as for the owners!

What do these people think, that a dog breathing near there food is going to poison them?!!

I mean seriously, what do they think we do at home, have constant food poisoning from our pet dogs being 'allowed' in the kitchen or near our dining table?

[Smartieskid]

Food hygiene say that dogs are allowed in cafes pubs or places that serve food but dogs aren't allowed in the good preparation area because we have an open kitchen and food preparation area dogs could easily walk or run into the area has happened before with dogs that weren't allowed in the building but owners had managed to sneak the dog past the entrance

[Smartieskid]

Sorry posted on wrong thread

[ellamae74]

We recently visited Southwold and Aldeburgh in Suffolk and was amazed to see dogs are allowed in all the shops and restuarants and cafes!
It did feel a bit strange at first walking into a restaurant and stepping around dogs lying on the floor but lovely to see. Also a bit annoying as we'd left our dog with a dog sitter but we'll know next time.
I suppose though that if you're not a dog lover it might not be very nice eating with dogs close by and remember that not all are nicely trained so I can see both sides.

[2kids2dogsnosense]

What Valhalla said. Entirely up to cafe/restaurant/shop owners discretion, as long as animals aren't in the food preparation areas.

However, as far as I am aware, assistance Dogs HAVE to be allowed into everywhere.

The ones that pee me off are the ones who try to hide behind the law when I KNOW it allows animals into premises - if they don't want dogs, fine - but admit it's because you don't like them in the place, not because you are too cowardly to say so.

When cafe owners used to say "Oh it's the EU regulations - sorry." I have been able to quite honestly point out that in France , Italy and Belgium (and possibly more) I have seen dogs in cafes and restaurants and shops of all types - including supermarkets. (In Belgium I have seen a dog sitting at a table eating cake with his owner. Nobody batted an eye.)

Places that don't allow dogs at outside tables (e.g. Wetherspoons) really pee me off. I can accept that some people might consider them unhygienic inside, but outside? Come on!

[MewlingQuim]

Dogs aren't allowed in food preparation areas, but there is no law against dogs in areas where food is eaten AFAIK.

I have no problem with places that say they don't allow dogs because they don't like them, but pretending it's the law really does piss me off.

I once got chucked out of a library as I had my dog, even though I had previously been invited in when we had been waiting outside for DH. This time it was different staff, who went berserk shouting about hygiene laws and contamination with fleas, then asked if I could just sign up DD for a library card before I left

Shame really, as the library was on our walk route and it would have been nice to pop in for a book on the way, we probably would have been in several times a week if we could have gone in with DDog.

The library has now been closed due to lack of use.

[powershowerforanhour]

I have a dog and love taking her to the most dog friendly of our 3 local pubs, and sitting outside the cafes that allow dogs, but I think it's not a bad thing having some pubs and cafes that don't allow them.

Out on walks it's easy to see that quite a lot of people are very wary of dogs and if you're scared of them it must be quite unsettling to have even a well behaved dog on a lead come to a table near you...fear isn't a logical thing. So I think it's good that there are places where these people can relax in the knowledge that dogs won't be there.