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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Dogs in Butchers - A Step Too Far?

45 replies

HeatingFiddler · 12/02/2025 09:42

I love dogs. I have several myself. I have no issues with dogs going into coffee shops and restaurants - by and large dogs don't go near the food and they definitely don't get near raw ingredients - as long as they're quiet and well behaved.

BUT. I went into my local butcher today and they had a bloody dog behind the counter.I actually asked the butcher if he realised there was a dog behind the counter - I thought someones dog had escaped back there and he just hadn't noticed! It was his!!!!

I ended up not buying anything I don't think I can go back. It just feels like a (very bloody grim) step too far for me. I'm actually wondering if there's an avenue to report them for violating health standards of similar...before I do, can people just assure me that I am not BU to find a dog behind the counter in a butchers to be bloody disgusting!?

OP posts:

ohtowinthelottery · 15/02/2025 10:31

Pretty sure that would be a big no no if Environmental Health dropped by. And a butcher never knows what his customers do for a living, surely?
One of the food shops in my local High Street has a box of doggy treats under the counter. Dogs arrive with their owners and bark and wag their tales as they know they'll be given a treat.
This is a shop where goods are already cooked. At least everything is behind glass from the customer/dog side of the counter and hopefully the treats are only handed to the owners to give to their dogs, not given by those handling the food.

bengalcat · 15/02/2025 10:50

Dog must’ve been very well behaved - my hound wouldn’t be able to spend all day in a butchers and not consider helping herself ( but only when no one was watching ! )

KiwiOtter · 15/02/2025 12:20

Dogs should not be around establishments that sell/prepare food full stop. This new and growing trend is annoying.

Im sure the army of ‘my precious fur baby doggy is harmless, and I will resort to comparing my dog to your child’ group will disagree with me though!

Navyontop · 15/02/2025 15:32

You don’t have to purchase anything from this business, just find an alternative butchers?

BoldAmberDuck · 15/02/2025 19:42

WhatsThatSongCalled · 12/02/2025 12:13

In a shop of dead animals full of loads of bacteria, I think a live dog isn’t too worrying.

Agree. What’s the difference? At least the dogs isn’t being eaten

PassingStranger · 15/02/2025 19:44

He was after them bones.

DalzielOrNoDalzielAndDontPascoe · 15/02/2025 19:45

Rainplops · 12/02/2025 12:29

Are you sure he wasn't just next for the chopping block? fresh dog meat, come and get it!

I was wondering that too, when I saw the thread title: are we talking about a Korean butcher here?!

HoppityBun · 15/02/2025 19:46

I’d prefer a dog in a butcher’s than in a coffee shop

Bellie710 · 16/02/2025 10:07

I work in a butchers, dogs are not even allowed in our shop never mind behind the counter!

There are enough rules with the dead animals in the place, we even asked environmental health about dogs in the shop and they said as the meat counter was open at the back they are not allowed in.

Floatlikeafeather2 · 16/02/2025 10:14

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

feelingalittlehorse · 16/02/2025 10:34

A butcher’s dog would be my dog’s dream career.

amigafan2003 · 16/02/2025 11:42

No specific legislation is beibg violated by having a dog behind the counter.

Certain local authority environmental health teams may have thier own policies / interpretations though.

Maddy70 · 16/02/2025 12:12

You know meat is dead animals with bacteria on it. A healthy dog not coming into contact with it is unlikely to cause any issues

Bangolads · 16/02/2025 14:04

This whole thread has made me laugh, it’s a tad hysterical. I do appreciate the concern though, but I think it’s highly unlikely the dog is causing much harm. Our butchers have dogs behind the counter, the meat is well out of reach. I have no concerns the meat is contaminated.

SezFrankly · 16/02/2025 18:18

I’ll bet he was as happy as a butchers…

I’ll get my coat 🙈

Tricho · 16/02/2025 18:20

Whatever next!

welshmercury · 17/02/2025 12:21

Dogs are not allowed into any food prep areas but I can’t find the specific regulations or law on this.

if you aren’t happy then shop elsewhere

Drylogsonly · 17/02/2025 18:50

Just make sure you cooked the meats… presumably the dog isn’t handling anything…

Kittycat1969 · 18/02/2025 11:34

ForRealCat · 12/02/2025 09:52

A step too far? As if this is a new thing? I remember in our butchers 40 years ago people walking down to the village with their dog and going in. The butcher always had a box of scraps and bones on the floor behind the counter and would bag up anything the owner wanted (because he was happy to see them there). There's no hygiene issue as the meat is all on the butchers side behind a counter.

I know there are more dogs around now, but I do find it strange when people talk about dogs going into certain places as if its a new thing, when it has been forever thus. Dogs have always been allowed in my local pub, and indeed when most ladies were still in the ladies lounge dogs had free rein.

Dogs in shops and pubs is not a new fad!!!

But surely it’s not the same thing? The dog was behind the counter with the butcher not at the other side with a customer! It wouldn’t bother me at all if it were a customers dog because it wouldn’t be anywhere near the meat but I wouldn’t buy from a shop where there is a dog behind the counter (god know where else too) where meat is stored. Not good hygiene

Newbie8918 · 18/02/2025 12:15

Has the OP spoke to the butcher yet? This could be a complete one off never to be repeated and therefore a non issue.

DH took our dog to his office last week as we had a surveyor and estate agent visiting using the spare keys whilst we were both in work. Our dog wouldn’t have taken to strangers walking in with no one home.

His office is not food based but no one even knows if this is a regular thing for the butcher or even if it is, whether he would stop if his customers were disgruntled!

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