Viral Photo: Mouse In Southbridge McDonalds?
Osvaldo A. Torres (Facebook)
It’s the post that has been shared across the web… Over 1600 times and counting since it was posted on Saturday. A mouse that appears to be looking for crumbs reportedly found inside the kitchen area of the McDonald’s located at 515 East Main Street in Southbridge.
The Lake 940 asked the person who posted it, Osvaldo A. Torres, better known as Ariel, about the photo, and he told us, “You have no clue how many people have been saying this is all fake. It’s crazy. I’m not trying to be the bad guy here, you know? I was just hanging out there with a few of my best friends. Yes, we were eating then I look up and I see it there. I’m like ‘yo guys look a mouse.'”
We have reached out to both the Southbridge McDonald’s where this rodent was allegedly spotted, as well as the Southbridge Health Department, but have not been able to speak to anyone who is willing to comment yet.
According to the health department’s website, they are “responsible for the promotion and protection of public health” through education and enforcement of environmental, public, medical and mental health laws and regulations. They are also the ones who enforce the “State Sanitary Code in the areas of housing, food sales and service, pools and camps.”
We understand it is cold outside and animals can make their way indoors to try to stay warm, but we also know that there should be precautions in place to keep them out of the kitchen and away from food preparation areas, especially in restaurants open to the public.
The Lake 940 asked Torres if he told a manager about the mouse, he said, “Yes, of course we did.” but no action was taken at the time to remove it from the restaurant. Did he finish his meal?
So far no comment from the restaurant or Director of Inspection Services, Andrew Pelletier. We will update this page when we have a comment from the store or the Department of Health.
Here’s another view of the restaurant with the mouse circled.
Osvaldo A. Torres (Facebook)