Dog Nutter Brewery

Today my team was treated to a social afternoon and brewery tour at a venue here in Sydney, which I had genuinely been looking forward to.

Unfortunately, when I arrived, I immediately noticed a “Vote for Pup of the Month” display on the bar: https://imgur.com/a/sSsaUOz

There was also a mongrel sitting inside the venue beside a table, with several more arriving as the afternoon continued. Later, I spotted a sign outside actively advertising that dogs were welcome, despite the venue serving food.

At one point, I even saw the venue manager petting and interacting with a dog, which I found disgusting. I tried to watch whether she washed her hands before returning to work, but I wasn’t able to confirm whether she did.

It is so disheartening to see businesses normalising dogs inside hospitality venues and allowing them to sit around dining tables. Are they not concerned about hygiene and cross-contamination ? What about customers with dog allergies, phobias, sensory issues, or those who simply do not want to eat around animals ?

It got me thinking: What if dog-free people started calling venues before eating out to ask whether dogs were allowed on-site, and then said they would not be able to patronise the business because of a dog allergy ? Even if that is not the real reason, perhaps repeated reports of lost customers and revenue would finally make hospitality businesses consider the downside of allowing dogs everywhere.

Anyway, for anyone looking for a genuinely dog-free venue, avoid 4 Pines Brewery in Brookvale, Sydney, Australia.