| Junior Member Newborn
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 1
|  Dogs and public space
I have an optimistic theory that if more dog owners understood the life of an allergy sufferer, we could get along more peacefully.
That would be me, I happen to be extremely allergic to dogs.
If they lick me, sniff me, or in any way get their saliva on me, I get a rash. If I am in the same room with them or where they spend a lot of time, I get athsma. Yes, I literally cannot breathe. No, it's not just "in my head", I am allergic to cats and horses, too. The funny thing is, I've never had a problem avoiding cats and horses in public spaces, as long as I don't choose to go to Medieval Times or the county fair.
I have to admit I do have a bias. I am not well-disposed toward dogs because as a small child my aunt's dog bit my hand unprovoked. I'm also not fond of their constant need for attention.
I will do my best to set this bias aside. What really concerns me is my right to be outside, in public spaces, without being assaulted by dogs. For me, given my medical condition, assault can be in the form of a simple lick on my leg. I know that this is unusual and generally dog owners expect people will tolerate some form of physical interaction from their dogs in public places. I wish this were not the case, but there is little I can do about it. Therefore, I take reasonable steps to avoid these sorts of confrontations. I swerve out of the way of dog walkers on the sidewalk, and only go to the pet store at off hours so I can more easily dodge the dogs in the aisles as I make my way toward the fish and rodent supplies.
Sometimes it's not so simple. When someone brings their seeing eye dog
on the elevator, I try as elegantly as possible to leave and take the stairs. Hiking in the forest where trails are not always so wide, it sometimes means walking through brambles to avoid a dog walker. Often in the forest one will come across a freely roaming hunting dog or just a reckless owner who thinks it's okay to give his dogs free reign despite the rules of the park, in which case I rummage around for a stick to stand off the animal. I am lucky to live in a town with excellent enforcement of leash laws, which means I do not have to deal with freely roaming dogs on the streets.
I do all of these things simply because I prefer to avoid confrontation, a bad rash, and death from asphyxiation. It's really nothing personal.
Unfortunately this concept seems to be lost on most dog owners. When I swerve to avoid them on the sidewalk, it typically elicits a respose such as, "he's friendly", or "he doesn't bite". If I continue to ignore them they invariably get upset at me. If I try explaining that I am allergic, the response is usually disbelief. Why should I have to explain my medical condition to a stranger anyway? Isn't it enough that I have taken it as my responsibility to avoid their animal? Why should I have to suffer their derision at the same time?
There are many other unfair attitudes I have encountered from dog owners. Below I've made a list of them. I'd like to say that these are not true of ALL dog owners by any means, and there are many fine and conscientious dog owners who are my friends. However, these beliefs do seem to be held by a significant fraction of owners, to whom I would like to say, please respect my human rights, my health, and my right to passage in public spaces. The quality of a human life trumps that of your dog, no matter how much you may feel it is part of your family.
Inappropriate dog owner attitudes:
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I should want to touch or be touched by their animal. If I don't it's a sign that I am anti-social. (Would it be acceptable for a human to go around slobbering on strangers? Why is it acceptable for your dog to do this, then?)
I should take their word that their animal is not dangerous. If I don't favorably respond to their animal, it's a sign that I think it's dangerous, and a personal offense to them. (As a dog bite victim why should I trust the word of the owner? Even if I don't think the dog is dangerous, there are many valid reasons to not want to touch their animal that have nothing to do with my feelings about the owner.)
If a dog reacts unfavorably to my presence, it is my fault for not behaving in the right way.
Socialized dogs expect you to react to them by petting or otherwise ogling them, therefore they are confused when a visitor does not react to their presence, resulting in erratic behavior. This is unfortunate but true. The usual attitude of the owner, however, is that it is your fault for not acting in the expected manner, and not their responsibility to train the dog for this situation.
My dog would never hurt anybody. It is only natural for owners to dislike to entertain the possibility that their dog could hurt someone. However, the unfortunate truth is that a dog can behave erratically in any strange or unfamiliar situation. This is especially true if the owner is not around, and a uniformed stranger such as a delivery man or meter reader comes by. Please be aware of this fact and do not expect delivery people to be subject to physical contact with your dog in order to make a delivery.
I should be able to tolerate having a dog in the same room despite my allergies.
My allergies are my fault because if my parents had pets when I was a baby, I'd be more likely to not be allergic.
My allergies are my fault because they can be cured by keeping a pet and becoming desensitised to the allergens. (Is this really true or do people just get used to the suffering? What if I don't want a pet? What if I don't want to have to take allergy medication all of the time? I'm sure my allergies would be much better after I'm DEAD because I couldn't BREATHE.)
I won't be allergic to their dog because it doesn't shed, has short hair, or they cleaned the hair up. Not true. I am allergic to dog saliva, which is often carried on their hair and why the hair causes allergies. However just cleaning the hair does not generally remove the proteins from the saliva which end up everywhere the dog goes. This is particular hell if I get a hotel room that happened to house a dog within the last week. (Eventually the proteins do denature). This is why I prefer pet-free hotels.
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What you do with your dog on your property or at the dog park are none of my business. But that sidewalk in front of your house is a public byway, and you have to be prepared for bikers, joggers, and small children, including, of course, allergy sufferers like myself. Please be mindful of others and take reasonable steps to ensure their health and safety.
Moderators, if you feel this posting is inappropriate here, please direct me to an appropriate forum for this material. I hope you recognize that this has been respectfully submitted. Thank you.
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