If you’ve visited Starbucks’ outlet at East Coast Park, you’ve probably seen a few dogs there with their owners, enjoying their puppuccinos.
But it appears that this will soon disappear.
On Sunday (May 10), Facebook user Ian Lin shared a photo of a sign put up at Starbucks’ Parkland Green outlet, announcing that pets, except for guide dogs, will no longer be allowed in its indoor and outdoor seating areas from May 25.
According to the notice, the change is part of the cafe chain’s transition towards halal-certified operations.
This sparked an online debate, with many pet owners — including Ian — unhappy with the ban.
“The dogs are just minding their own business in the outside area. And this is the outlet at East Coast Park, for goodness sake,” he wrote.
Another commented: “Sad to hear this. We are a multi-racial and multi-religious country, and mutual respect should go both ways. If someone is uncomfortable with dogs, they can choose to avoid places where dogs are present, rather than expecting dogs or dog owners to be excluded entirely because the establishment is halal-certified.”
Some Muslim netizens empathised with the pet owners, saying that they would not be bothered by dogs on the cafe’s premises.
“I’m a Muslim and I love to see dogs. I have no issue with owners bringing their pets to whichever cafe they want!” one wrote.
Others were supportive of the change.
“Nothing wrong lah. It’s for halal certification. You can’t complain that a halal store has no pork either,” a netizen said.
Another wrote: “At last it’s gonna be halal. Kudos Starbucks!”
The announcement also left some confused, particularly over why guide dogs are allowed despite Starbucks’ move towards halal certification.
“What’s the difference between a guide dog and normal dog for halal certification?” a netizen questioned.
According to the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore’s advisory, guide dogs are allowed in halal-certified F&B establishments.
Starbucks Singapore has 29 pet-friendly locations listed on its website, including the outlet at Parkland Green.
AsiaOne has contacted Starbucks Singapore for more information.
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