PUBLISHED ONJanuary 05, 2026 8:15 AMBYKoh Xing YingA woman in Beijing is facing legal action after posting a video of her dog eating off a plate at a restaurant, sparking public concern over hygiene.
The incident occurred on Dec 16 at a branch of Nanmen Hotpot, a Beijing-style hotpot restaurant in the Chinese capital, reported the South China Morning Post on Sunday (Jan 4).
The case follows a viral video on social media showing a dog eating from a plate of mutton while its owner praised the behaviour.
"I don't even know what the mutton rolls taste like because my dog has eaten them all. The plate is completely empty now," said the woman.
"How can I praise my dog? Just awesome."
Under the comments section, several netizens voiced concerns, noting that the saliva of dogs and cats can contain harmful germs while others blamed the owner for failing to discipline her pet.
In response, the restaurant was reported to have temporarily closed for three days from Dec 18 to sterilise the premises.
In a statement, the restaurant acknowledged the incident and said that an internal investigation was conducted with appropriate action taken.
"Recently, a video showing dining scenes at one of our stores appeared online, drawing widespread attention. In response to this incident, we immediately conducted an internal investigation and took appropriate action," said the restaurant.
"Regardless of the cause of the incident, the safety of our diners and public hygiene remain our top priority. We sincerely apologise for the discomfort and concern caused to our customers by this incident."
It added that customers who dined at the affected store between Dec 16 and 18, will be given full refund and compensation.
"We firmly support the rights and interests of consumers and brand owners, and will hold those responsible for this incident legally accountable," said the restaurant.
"We once again express our sincere apologies to all consumers for the negative impact this has caused."
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xingying.koh@asiaone.com
