Health department warns restaurant after photo of dog eating off plate

CHARLOTTE — A woman said she recently snapped a picture of a dog eating off a plate at a restaurant in Waverly in south Charlotte.

Tikola McCree said she was with friends at Foxcroft Wine Company when she noticed the couple on the patio allowing their dog to eat and lick off their plate, utensils and a cutting board.

McCree said she notified employees and was told the dishes would be washed.

Dog licks from plate at Charlotte restaurant Tikola McCree snapped this photo of a dog eating from a plate at a south Charlotte restaurant. (Tikola McCree)

McCree said that shouldn’t have been allowed for sanitary reasons, so she filed a complaint with the county health department.

“Let me put that out there -- I am a dog lover and, I think as we are coming out of a pandemic, I don’t think that was the right course for the restaurant to allow,” she told Channel 9.

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Foxcroft said that after it got the complaint, the health department visited to follow up. Officials found that Foxcroft Wine Company followed state guidelines and no further action was needed.

However, the health department said, “The contamination of the utensils was a violation of the food code.”

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The inspector informed employees at the restaurant that they “cannot allow dogs to eat off of multi-use plates or to lick utensils, even if those items are washed. If customers wish to provide food or water to their pets, single-service disposable items can be used and then thrown away.”

The health department did not fine Foxcroft, but educated the restaurant about procedures.

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