A small town in Wyoming has found itself embroiled in a debate after a picture emerged of a dog sitting at a table inside a restaurant alongside its owner.
The image, captured inside Sapporo Japanese Steakhouse in Rock Springs, Wyoming, shows an elderly woman sitting at a table next to her small dog.
Local woman Ellie Croft shared the image and her disgust at how the restaurant staff allowed the animal inside.
In her post, Croft said: ‘If you’ve already made the right decision to take your dog to a restaurant.
“DO NOT leave him on the bench where other people will be sitting. It’s disgusting and inconsiderate,” and her post has now sparked a wider debate about animals in restaurants.
The image, captured inside Sapporo Japanese Steakhouse in Rock Springs, Wyoming, shows an older woman sitting at a table next to her small dog.
Croft’s image and caption have since sparked a deeper and more heated debate about whether to allow animals in restaurants.
Some users urged her to be considerate, as she did not know all of the woman’s circumstances, questioning whether it was possibly a service dog.
Others agreed with her post and said that people should stop considering dogs as humans.
One commenter posted: “If your privileged ass is too spotless to sit in the same restaurant as a dog, you’re the problem, not the dog.”
Another said: “He’s probably better behaved than most kids around here,” but someone else added: “I agree! Dogs belong at home.”
Another man added: ‘Everyone should take a moment to really think about this.
‘This is a food establishment, not your kitchen at home. Could it be a service dog? Yes, but it would be more responsible for this person to wear a vest or a tag to indicate this.
‘People have allergies, and unless you have a certified service animal, you have no right to bring a pet that might bother another person into public food establishments.’
Croft responded after receiving some criticism for her original post, adding: “I’m severely allergic to dogs, and they shouldn’t be in people’s seats in restaurants.”
The post has since sparked a broader debate about animals in restaurants.
“It would have been fine if the dog had stayed on the ground. Have some common sense.”
Sapporo owner Jerry Zhang said State of the Cowboys Diary which leans towards the softer side of the issue for a few reasons.
According to Zhang, she doesn’t want to keep a lonely or disabled person away from their dog, and she doesn’t want a dog to be left abandoned in a hot vehicle.
Zhang also told the outlet that the restaurant is still meticulously cleaned between each guest.
He said, ‘If the dog is good, it doesn’t bark, I say OK. I’m sorry if I reject it.
Sapporo owner Jerry Zhang, pictured here, told Cowboy State Daily he leans on the softer side of the issue for a few reasons.
‘I always tell myself to put myself in other people’s shoes to feel what others feel. That’s why (I allow well-behaved dogs).’
According to the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, all animals except service dogs are not allowed inside restaurants.
Federal rules state that staff can only ask a person if they need a dog because of a disability and what task the dog should perform.
The guidance adds that staff should not ask for documentation or proof that they can perform a service.