Two large dogs were spotted running around a Woolworths store in Ballina, NSW, without their owners.

In an effort to contain the two dogs, staff members had placed them in two shopping trolleys, much to the dismay of some shoppers.

A photo shared online of the two Staffies sitting in the trolleys outraged people, with many concerned about the hygiene of the trolleys.

"Hope those two trolleys got a good cleaning before being used again," said one concerned commenter.

"Fancy shopping and using these trolleys after these dogs have been in them," another wrote.

However, there were many people who defended the move, with some people claiming humans are "dirtier than dogs."

"I would much rather use a trolley after a dog has been in it than use a trolley after a putrid human," one person wrote.

Shoppers who witnessed the incident recounted the events.

"Haha, I saw them making a mad dash through the fair," someone wrote.

"We were doing a shop in Woolies this morning [and] two staff members [were] in hot pursuit," another person commented.

"They went up and down a few aisles before they were nabbed."

The person who posted the photo added that the dogs' owner was nowhere to be seen, and a ranger had been contacted to pick up the two dogs.

Image: Facebook