'Mum allows dog in kitchen while cooking dinner, it's disgusting and unhygienic'

A woman has divided opinions after storming out of a family meal because a dog was in the room when it was being prepared. She claims it is unhygienic to allow an animal - especially dogs and cats - in to the kitchen while food is out on the countertops because their hairs 'almost always find a way in to the meal'.

Taking to Reddit, she said: "My sister has a dog that she says her world revolves around, which is fine, she can do her thing. I just have an issue when it affects me. It's a breed that sheds a lot. She regularly has dog hair on her clothes. I don't eat food at or from my sister's house. I've found dog hair in her cooking before so I gently pass on her dishes.

"Privately, I have told my mum that I don't like her dog around food and I won't eat my sister's dishes. I've found dog hair in multiple dishes over the last few years. This is not a one time thing. I've avoided my sisters food for about six to eight months because of this."

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Despite her mum knowing her stance on this, she allowed the dog to roam freely around the kitchen as they cooked a family meal. "We were supposed to eat at my parent's house, neither my sister or I live at our parent's anymore," she added.

"I arrived a little early to offer to help and see my sister was already there. I walk in and see my sister's dog is at my mum's house. I've never been at my mum's house when my sister's dog has been there. I also found out my sister had been their all day helping my mum cook. Apparently she had offered a few days earlier and my mum accepted.

"I didn't know this was happening. Next thing I know the dog is trotting through the kitchen. This whole situation was too much and I told them I wouldn't be eating this food." When they asked her why she wouldn't be joining them at the table, she repeated how eating food that has been prepared near an animal is "disgusting".

Her sister took immediate offence to this and claimed she was "blowing things out of proportion". The woman added: "She mentioned lots of people eat food prepared where dogs are nearby. I tell her I'm not one of those people.

"I just decide to go home. I leave the pies I made and ended up ordering Chinese. When dinner was supposed to happen, my phone was blowing up and I was told I should have just dealt with it by multiple family members."

While most users agreed her mum could have kept the dog out the room while the food was being prepared, others claimed "the dog wasn't going to cause a mess in four hours at the parent's house". One user said: "You're approaching this as if your stance is common and therefore your family was being unreasonable.

"There are 69 million dog owners and 45 million cat owners in the US, most all of whom eat food prepared around pets. Your family relationships will do better if you own up to having an unusual and very strong phobia against eating around pets. Ask your mum and sister if they are open to accommodating you, rather than suggesting that they're unhygienic beasts and you'll be more likely to preserve your family relationships."

Another user added: "I've gone so far as to tell people I’m allergic to dogs to avoid being around them or to encourage their owners to keep them away from me. In households where the animals rule, it sometimes can seem like a passive-aggressive power move to not accommodate human guests as the priority.

"This has become very common in the states with their even being doormats defining that the pet or pets take priority over any guest." A third user said: "I am absolutely not a dog fan but unless they were wiping their utensils on his butt, I think you're being pretty dramatic."

Do you have a dog story to share? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.