Dog house owners fuming as Wetherspoon ‘jobsworth’ makes pooch sit three ft away

Jonathan and Anne Plautus stopped for a drink at The Stanley Jefferson, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, however had been advised their canine was not allowed to sit down with them

A pair mentioned they had been left fuming after a “jobsworth” employee at Wetherspoon advised them their canine was not allowed to remain subsequent to them within the outside space of the pub – and compelled the canine to sit down three ft away.

Jonathan and Anne Plautus stopped for a drink at The Stanley Jefferson, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, with their “quiet-as-a-mouse” cockapoo Harley. But whereas having fun with a drink, 52-year-old Jonathan claimed a “impolite” workers member advised them to drink up and go away as their three-year-old pooch was not allowed there.

The couple claimed to have requested the “jobsworth” if they may maintain onto Harley’s lead whereas he sat outdoors the Wetherspoons limitations – however the compromise was rejected. Jonathan mentioned he then tied his canine to a lamp publish a couple of ft away from the boozer’s cordoned-off space to point out the “foolish” scenario.

Sad snaps present the “lonely-looking” canine ready subsequent to the street moderately than with Anne, 59, who was sitting simply yards away together with her pint of cider. Jonathan posted the pictures to Facebook the place a debate erupted over whether or not “quiet-as-a-mouse” Harley ought to have been allowed to stick with his house owners, studies Teesside Live.

Some pointed to Wetherspoons’ on-line guidelines that state they “don’t allow dogs or different animals besides help dogs” even in “outdoors pavement areas”. They blasted Jonathan for “dragging his canine” to Wetherspoons and warned him to not go if he doesn’t like the principles, whereas others agreed with him that he ruling was “harsh”.

The grandad-of-one then hit again and branded one consumer a “d**ok” earlier than explaining he doesn’t imagine Wetherspoons ought to management who sits on the council-managed pavement. He mentioned he felt he and Anne had been handled as in the event that they had been “unhealthy folks”, whereas different clients claimed to be swearing and throwing cigarette ends on the trail weren’t confronted. Wetherspoons have permission from Durham County Council to host a seating space on the pavement and are permitted to use their commonplace guidelines there.

Jonathan, from Crook, County Durham, mentioned: “It irritated us as a result of throughout that point folks got here out to have a smoke they usually had been swearing and flicking their fag ends on the trail. I assumed ‘how can they do this and we will not sit there and have a quiet pint. We weren’t inflicting any hassle.

“I perceive some dogs is likely to be aggressive and they may not need them within the pub however I feel there must be a little bit of leeway outdoors. Harley’s quiet as a mouse. We’ve skilled him properly. We solely needed to have a fast drink as a result of it was a pleasant night. I do know we will not take dogs in Wetherspoons so we sat outdoors.

“A woman got here out and advised us we might need to go. It was impolite the best way she mentioned it as if we weren’t very good folks. I assumed she had a little bit of an angle. She advised us why and we had been shocked as a result of there was hardly anyone else there.

“Anne even requested if we might put the canine on the opposite aspect of the fence on a lead however she mentioned no as a result of we might nonetheless have the lead in our fingers. She was being a jobsworth. That’s after I tied Harley to the lamp publish. He regarded lonely over there.

“After I took the photograph I did deliver him again in to sit down subsequent to the chairs however that is the place I’d have needed to go away him. It reveals how foolish the entire scenario is. I feel when it isn’t full of folks there must be a unique rule.”

Jonathan says he didn’t report the incident to Wetherspoons and can return with out his cockapoo sooner or later. His Facebook publish mentioned: “Just been evicted from Wetherspoons Bishop Auckland. We had been advised we must go after we completed our drink.

“Apparently the supervisor mentioned we will not sit with our canine right here which remains to be public byway. If we park our canine on the opposite aspect of the barrier it is completely okay and we will have one other drink.”

One commented: “They clearly promote it on their web site, and it is properly publicised elsewhere, so I’m unsure why you’d drag your canine to a Wetherspoons. I’m glad they enforced it, it will make you realise that it applies to you too, so your poor canine is not subjected to this in future.”

Jonathan hit again and mentioned: “He’s by no means been dragged anyplace you D**ok. If it is a family-friendly pub why do not they management who they let in as a result of a majority of the clientele in a whole lot of these pubs aren’t family-friendly? Dog’s do not stand outdoors smoking, swearing and spitting phlegm on the general public byway.”

Another mentioned: “Seems a bit harsh, the canine is clearly not on Spoons property. However they could not need you setting a pattern and naturally can ask you to maneuver on if they need if on their seats.” One defended Jonathan and mentioned: “Jobsworth. Won’t final lengthy.”

In response to a consumer sharing the hyperlink to Wetherspoons web page, Jonathan mentioned: “If any of you clued up folks on Spoons Law learn the publish you’d see that it isn’t about Spoons property. It’s about getting back from a walk and sitting on the pavement having a quiet pint after a canine walk, which is seemingly a no-smoking zone. But the institution does not say something to the people who smoke who flick there tab ends on the trail.”

The publish earned dozens of feedback inside hours of being posted following the incident. Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon mentioned: “Wetherspoons operates a no-dogs coverage in all its pubs except help dogs that are welcome.

“The coverage is about out on the corporate’s web site and was defined in the summertime/autumn 2023 version of Wetherspoon News, our buyer journal. The coverage applies each inside our pubs and in any outdoors space whether or not owned by the corporate or , as on this case, the native authority the place we function beneath a pavement licence.

“So we’re constant, it applies always and isn’t depending on how busy the pub is likely to be. We respect that canine house owners could discover the coverage restrictive but it surely has been in place for a variety of years and we imagine it’s in the very best curiosity of shoppers and workers.”

Durham County Council confirmed to Teesside Live it has not obtained any complaints relating to the incident.