AIBU to want cafes to be dog free after grandchild was bitten?

[OhSoTrue]

What to do? Took my 12 year old gc into a cafe for lunch today, and a dog
snapped her ankle as we walked by. It drew blood. No idea why it picked on her.
She did nothing beyond walking in the door.

The dog owner 'fled the scene' as it were. Made a hasty exit while he had the chance and everyone was looking at the injury.

Wouldn't it just be better if we kept dogs out of what really should be an exclusively human area?

The argument that "they are allowed here so suck it up" is wearing thin.
We are all very fed up of your dogs in human spaces. The vast majority of us would prefer a dog free space.

There has never been a laws banning dogs

There is no specific legislation banning dogs from such premises, and it has historically been at the discretion of the business owner.

However, the perception that they were banned stems from strict food hygiene regulations and a shift in cultural norms. Here is the breakdown of how rules around dogs in cafes have functioned:

• Food Hygiene Regulations: Food safety laws (specifically Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 and the Food Hygiene Regulations 2013) prohibit domestic animals from entering areas where food is prepared, handled, or stored—such as kitchens, food storage rooms, or behind the counter. This often led to a blanket "no dogs" policy for the entire premises to ensure compliance.
• Business Discretion: It is up to individual cafe owners to decide if dogs are allowed in the public seating area. Many historically chose to ban them for hygiene or comfort reasons.
• Cultural Shift: The increase in "dog-friendly" cafes, restaurants, and shops is a relatively recent phenomenon (largely in the last 10–20 years). Historically, dogs were far less common inside commercial food establishments than they are today.
• Misconception: Many people, including some café managers, mistakenly believed there was an outright legal ban on dogs inside any premises that served food, leading to signs prohibiting them.

The Key Rule: Dogs are legally allowed in cafes, pubs, and restaurants in the UK, provided they are not in food preparation areas and the business owner allows them. The exception to this is assistant dogs (such as guide dogs), which cannot be refused entry.

With the sector under pressure and business likely to drop further due to CofL dog owners are set to be even more crucial for businesses to keep running.

it was never law!

You’ve forgotten the vast majority that don’t care.

So sorry to hear about this awful incident OP. I agree, cafes, pubs and restaurants are not for dogs. It’s cruel for the animals to be constrained/stuck underneath a table indoors, not to mention unsafe and unhygienic.

I blame those cafe/restaurant owners who allow dogs into their premises and essentially put their profits before customer safety and hygiene. I hope you and others affected like this will take legal action against the cafe owners and the dog owner. They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this form of neglect to public safety. Consider taking it to your local press too. I think the tide will turn with allowing dogs into eateries eventually. I hope your gd recovers soon - sending a hug.

Following all the comments about "just don't go to dog-friendly places" - how do you tell?? I've just looked at the websites of 4 independent coffee places and 3 independent pubs in my home town. None of the coffee places have any mention of dogs being allowed or not. Two of the pubs state that they are dog-friendly, although one of these wants them removed later on Friday/Saturday evenings as it's a small pub which gets busy. So, really hard to plan ahead for dog-lovers and dog non-lovers alike!

Same (not London though)—some kind of cockerpoo something or other was being dragged around JL on Friday.

As an aside.. your DGD may need a tetanus injection if the owner has ran away as you dont know the dogs vaccines are up to date

I don’t mind dogs (I have two big dogs myself) in the outside seating area of cafes if they aren’t getting in the way but I don’t really like them indoors.

Unusual for Royal Mail, they normally refuse delivery. DH was a postman, he got bitten quite badly on his finger, his own fault as he put his finger through the letterbox and he shouldn’t have. He owned it, but the owner was still mortified, he had to knock as he was bleeding badly and needed tissues etc.

I quite like dogs but seems like they are allowed everywhere these days. Clearly business owners think they are missing a market if they don’t allow dogs in though?

Yes, but not “everyone” appreciates the dogs there because a few did.

To be honest I can't get worked up around well-behaved dogs in cafes.

We had a dog growing up and it was annoying having family holiday activities constantly dictated by where the dog could and couldn't go.

I do get worked up around badly behaved dogs anywhere though. Too many people think it's OK to let their dog run up to strangers in the park.

People who let their dogs run at people barking, or whose dogs bite people, should be prosecuted for assault.

😆 It’s not cruel for a dog to sit with its family under a table for an hour and a half.

It’s not unhygienic either as qualified by the law. Kids spread far more germs across tables and tables should be cleaned after each customer.

It’s not unsafe either- giant buggies and roaming children however are.

I have a dog, he is my constant companion and he sleeps on my bed. However, he never goes to cafes with me, as it would not be a relaxed situation for me. If I was out walking in the countryside and needed a drink, I would sit outside a cafe or pub, but it would be refreshment, not a social occasion. He is friendly, inquisitive and energetic, he is obedient but it's not restful, having to be constantly aware of his and other customers behaviour and movements.

I don’t know, countries like France and Italy seem just as dog friendly IME.

Why are so many so quick to give canines equal importance of humans? In particular, young humans? And dare I say it, even more important than young humans?

Do people realise that the owners of well behaved dogs dislike badly behaved dogs just as much as non dog owners? Possibly more. I don’t want a poorly trained dog running up to my dog. I don’t want to sit in a cafe if a dog is barking.

John Lewis Cheltenham yesterday. Busy shop and full of bloody dogs. Leave them at home.

Firstly.i love dogs and I dont have issues with them in cafes etc
This was.most definitely an irresponsible owner taking it into a cafe environment if it has already bitten, enclosed.environment and either anxious/vicious dog.
We have a dog, bought during covid (not impulsive buy we were planning for Sept butcovid hit, holiday cancelled so we brought it forward). I love him to bits and if we are out for a walk we would go to a cafe /pub but we prefer to sit outside. If he was to bark we would leave, others shouldn't be disturbed by us.

However, I commented yesterday after visiting the Range (at least 3 dogs in) that I would have NO desire ro take my dog to a shopping centre/department store. Why would uou?
Hope your gc is OK and that the police sort it x

If there is a list of eating establishments in the south Manchester area that don’t allow dogs, please point me in its direction! I’d love to eat out more but have basically stopped eating out around here as constantly tripping over dogs 😂 and keep being told to just avoid dog friendly cafes but how can you tell?
not a dog lover but more importantly have allergies to furry animals

Until one bites your child.

I was in a small cafe attached to a library last month. Usually only a few adults there but fills with mums and babies once a week before Rattle&Rhyme.

A woman with a cockerpoo (guess) came in and lifted it onto a chair then went up to order coffee. The barrista brought her coffee and picked up the dog for a big cuddle and chat, then returned to the counter. Immediately the other staff member came for an even bigger cuddle and chat.
They were both in full uniform including apron. I can only hope they washed their hands after the cuddle, but I doubt that was in line with hygiene regulations. I was glad I'd already got my food and drink.

You won't find dogs in cafes and shops in France... As to being dog friendly; not nearly as much as the UK. People still love their pets, but in the countryside there's still many dogs treated badly.

FFS why does everything need to be a competition?! People who like dogs are not saying your precious little child is not important. 🙄

Google is your friend! Just did it and got suggestions, one being Pausa cafe, can’t remember the rest!