When pet-friendly dining goes too far: Dog owner criticised for feeding pets from restaurant plates, manager says tableware have been discarded

SINGAPORE: A dog owner has drawn widespread criticism online after a video showed five dogs being fed meat directly from a hot pot restaurant’s plates, raising concerns over hygiene and consideration for other diners.

The incident, which took place at a hot pot restaurant in Katong Square, first surfaced in September last year through an Instagram post by a now-private account, seemingly written from a dog’s point of view.

According to MustShareNews, the post described how the dogs went for a walk at Kallang Stadium before enjoying a “yummy hotpot dinner” with their owner. According to the caption, the owner had ordered three portions of unmarinated meat and grilled them for the dogs.

Photos and videos accompanying the post showed five dogs seated on chairs and the floor around a table, with large platters of raw meat placed in front of them. One clip, which was later circulated online after being reposted on Facebook, showed a person holding a restaurant plate up to a dachshund, which licked and ate the meat directly off the plate.

The footage quickly sparked backlash from netizens, many of whom called the behaviour selfish and unhygienic, especially in a shared dining environment.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the restaurant’s manager, 39-year-old Mr Han, said he was present during the incident and intervened immediately after seeing the dogs being fed using the restaurant’s tableware.

“I immediately cleared away and threw away all their tableware, because I didn’t know which plates they used to feed the dog,” he said (translated from Mandarin).

Mr Han added that while the restaurant allows customers to bring pets to its outdoor seating area, strict rules are in place.

MustShareNews also noted that the restaurant provided disposable tableware specifically for pets at no additional charge. However, patrons are clearly reminded that regular tableware is meant for human diners only and must not be used to feed pets.

This incident led to online conversations about pet etiquette in public spaces. Many pawrents would inevitably welcome more pet-friendly dining options, but such privileges warrant responsible pet ownership as well. Just because establishments are more accommodating doesn’t mean that people can go ahead and forget basic human decency and violate numerous health codes.

For the restaurant, Mr Han said the priority was clear: ensuring cleanliness and maintaining standards for all customers, even if it meant discarding an entire set of tableware on the spot.

Netizens react: “Have some basic hygiene please”

The incident quickly drew strong reactions online, with many netizens calling out what they saw as inconsiderate behaviour that crossed basic hygiene boundaries.

One commenter said: “Some pawrents are [redacted] crazy. I get that you love your pets, but sometimes they are borderline insane, where they see them as the same level as a human.”

Others worried that such actions could make life harder for responsible pet owners. “Like have some basic hygiene please. These bad examples spoil it for other well-meaning pet owners,” one netizen wrote.

Several users also pointed out that the issue was not about whether pets should be allowed, but about respecting shared spaces. “Dog owners like these are just plain selfish with no consideration for other patrons!” another comment read.

Even fellow dog owners weighed in with frustration. “I’m a dog owner as well and holy heck do I hate other dog owners,” one netizen admitted, echoing a common sentiment that irresponsible behaviour reflects poorly on the wider pet-owning community.

Establishments becoming more pet-friendly is indeed a welcome change, however, many netizens agree that this only works when pet owners are mindful of others and follow basic rules; loving pets does not mean ignoring common sense, especially in places where food safety affects everyone.