Commuters have criticised the change at the popular M6 services
A motorway services popular with dog owners is under fire after changing its policy on the animals.
Tebay Services in Cumbria, regularly voted the very best in the UK, used to let owners take their dogs inside the eating areas so they could grab a bite to eat with their furry friend by their side.
But now it has reverted back to the original policy of only allowing them in the foyer areas – and it's not gone down well with pet owners.
A sign in the foyer area explains that rules were relaxed over the last couple of years, but it's not really working out.
“We relaxed those rules and most of our four-legged visitors were well behaved,” it says. “However, we have learnt that some dogs don't like each other very much, which negatively impacts the experience of other customers. We received large volumes of feedback on this topic weekly.
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“We know how important it is for the whole family (even the furry ones!) to get everything they need from a rest stop and regret having to make this decision. But we're confident we've got the right facilities in place to make stopping with us just as easy in future. We have dog-friendly foyer areas, water bowls at each entrance, and of course a dedicated dog walk taking in views of the Cumbrian fells.”
But dog owners have been quick to criticise the move, saying the services – praised by Take That singer Gary Barlow as ‘the Rolls Royce of services' when he took a pitstop there last year – ‘can no longer call themselves dog friendly'.
Commenting on social media posts about the new-look southbound services, where new food stations have been added, one customer said she ‘won’t be returning because of the new dog policy', adding: “Shame as we loved our visits to Tebay.”
In response, another said: “I think they just made a blanket decision to exclude dogs from inside seating areas north and southbound. We have been given different reasons by staff at the services whenever I have asked. From a small number of dogs having accidents to other customers complaining of barking.
“You can only presume they make so much money from their non dog owning customers, they are happy to take the hit of losing revenue.”
She added: “The whole dog friendly policy has been poorly managed by Tebay and it's a bigger shame that they have not addressed this on their social media posts or responded to the now many comments on posts from their dog owning customer base.
“I don't think they can really in all honesty call themselves dog friendly anymore, more dog ambivalent. That won't sound so good on a sticker on their doors though. Please do better Tebay.”
Others called it ‘a backwards step', with one customer saying the change – which also applies to the other Westmorland Family-owned services, Cairn Lodge and Gloucester Services – meant ‘we couldn’t have breakfast and ended up eating a very poor salad in the car with a wooden knife and fork out of a box instead'.
Tebay says dogs are still allowed in outdoor eating areas, but one motorist said: “The outdoor areas provided north and southbound won't work for dog owners when it's cold, windy and rainy, or even on very hot days like today.”
“If you're a single traveller with a dog, you can't even get to order food,” said another.
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Not everyone is against the change though and one motorist called it ‘excellent news', saying: “Very scary for all when dog barking breaks out when we're trying to order it, eat food – like in most restaurants.”
In a statement, Tebay Services told us: “We love dogs at Tebay and they are allowed in the foyer areas and we have a dedicated dog walk to help everyone stretch their legs after a long journey.
“We wish to be as welcoming as possible for our canine friends, but motorway services are busy places and we must respect that not everyone appreciates a dog in cafe spaces.
“In the interest of safety, for both customers and colleagues, we have made some changes to where we allow dogs at our services, they are welcome in the grounds, foyer and outdoor eating spaces.
“We understand that some customers may be disappointed in our decision, but we need to ensure that everyone feels safe and welcome at our services.
“The change in policy at Tebay, is in line with our other services at Cairn Lodge and Gloucester Services, which regularly rank as the most dog friendly motorway service areas.”
What do you think about the change in policy? Should dogs be allowed inside the services? Let us know your views in the comments here.
