Do you think there will ever come a time when business need to take account of the needs of those of us allergic to dogs?

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OK, so I don't want this to turn into one of the many threads where huge rows erupt about the number of dogs around. I accept that this seems to be the way of the world - for now anyway - but some recent experiences have made me question the implications.

I'm in the process of booking a UK touring holiday and have spent the last few weeks trying to book some medium range hotels in various places. Mainly countryside locations which might be part of the issue.

I am allergic to dogs and prone to fairly serious reactions, including asthma attacks if exposed for a prolonged period.

The problem is that I'm coming across so many places I like only to read that they are pet friendly. This is often accompanied by photos showing dogs running around the hotel interior, sitting on the beds and couches in rooms etc. If I were to stay in this room after a dog had been there it's highly likely I'd be quite poorly. When I've rung these hotels to ask if they have any designated pet free rooms, they have replied that no, they are 'pet friendly', as if this somehow makes them morally superior and those of us who have allergies are some sort of animal hater!

Given the legislation on dietary labelling that came in following some tragic incidents, I do wonder if we're going to end up in a situation where someone is likely to come to harm through inadvertent exposure. This is probably more likely to be a child as grown adults will be able to spot early warning signs.

I'm just interested in views on this as it's increasingly feeling like I'm being denied access to a service in a way that would not be acceptable in other situations.

My kids are allergic to dogs, one much more severely than the others. We probably wouldn’t (couldn’t) use the space if there was a dog there because of the severely affected DC, but would be happy to give priority to the blind person. Hope you understand what I mean now.

We can survive without a cafe, but it’s nice to visit one sometimes. It would be a pity if dogs being everywhere wouldn’t allow that.

I’m in Ireland where dogs aren’t everywhere thankfully. I’ve realised from this thread and others that a visit to the UK could be problematic for our family unfortunately (we were vaguely planning a trip that probably won’t go ahead now, not without very careful planning anyway). I read the opposite on MN last week. Someone was deciding to stay in the UK to holiday with her dog rather than visit Ireland, again because of the different policies regarding dogs.
You are very welcome to come visit here OP 😁

I’m not sure why allergic needs to be in inverted commas btw @Sachrine.
They are real and can be very debilitating.
They make life harder.
If you don’t realise that it’s just because you’ve been lucky in this regard.

I have a severe dog allergy and my ds who has a learning disability happens to also have a dog phobia. I only mention the learning disability as it means it is that much harder to try and reason with him regarding the phobia, as lots of people suggest trying to introduce him to dogs etc etc etc but thats not an option in our case. Our entire town has declared itself dog friendly. The last place that was not dog friendly has just jumped on the bandwagon. Even the banks and building societies and EVERYWHERE is dog friendly and it is literally like we can't go out in oue own town any more.

I have mentioned pointed out to cafes that they state on their menu "please let us know if you have any allergies" so I have said, what about dog allergies?

I am also sick of people saying things like "just go somewhere else" when asking about non dog friendly options. Yes, I would love to go somewhere else, that is why I am asking. But literally no where around here is dog free anymore.

Regarding service dogs etc, these are OF COURSE the exception. No one can guarantee a dog free existence OF COURSE NOT that is NOT what anyone is asking for. It is the now INAVOIDABLE nature of exposure to dogs that is the problem. I do wish people could understand the difference.

Also, when I was in the garden centre buying a christmas tree last year, someone's dog weed up someone's tree while it was waiting to be collected. I would have been so annoyed if I brought my tree home and it smelt of dog wee. There is a reason why traditionally dogs were prohibited from most places, it wasn't just random rules because people are miserable dog haters.

Also the comparison to bee stings is null and void.

Having a dog is a CHOICE. Having an allergy or phobia is not.

Having a service dog due to a disability is also not a choice, and is of course totally different. They are highly trained and essential.

There are louds and louds of places that are dog free
Its really not the huge issue mumsnetters make out it to be.
Although you might want to avoid wherever heavymetaldetector lives.

Remember This is mumsnet and things can get passionate and heated.

This from a basic Google
There are
over 9,000 dog-friendly places to eat and drink in the UK, according to The Royal Kennel Club. Brighton and Hove has the highest concentration of dog-friendly hospitality, with roughly 4% of restaurants and 4.3% of cafes allowing dogs inside, notes Dojo for Business. Major chains like Costa Coffee also welcome dogs, and it is generally up to the owner's discretion, says Dover District Council.
Key details regarding dog-friendly establishments in the UK:

• Availability: DogFriendly.co.uk lists over 1,300, although this is a subset of the total, notes curiousbystander.com.
• Hospitality Split: In areas like Brighton, 7.7% of pubs are dog-friendly, while 33.6% of hotels allow dogs.

The numbers I’m guessing might be higher than those registered but no where near as life limiting as suggested.
Just look back on the hotel search for the Lake District @50% whereas a poster seemed to think there were none

quelle surprise

I wish people like @DrPrunesqualer would do others the courtesy of listening to them.

If someone tells you she is having difficulty going places local to her, because of allergies and a disabled child phobic to dogs, then BELIEVE her please, not AI.

I am not disputing any personal experiences here

I live in the U.K. too and travel extensively for my work staying over in both large towns and small villages

Im not disputing some people have trouble in their local area. I am disputing that’s the norm.
It isnt
and the available stats, booking and research back that up.

I also book to stay at hotels and can see very easily that hotels that don’t allow dogs are just as prevalent as hotels that do.

Personal experience is important of course but actual stats and countrywide research speaks for the entire country.
No one should rely on the opinions and experiences of a few and just assume that’s a countrywide norm.

I didn’t say it was a countrywide issue either. I said please don’t dismiss it as a problem. Listen to what people are saying.

It’s come up on multiple threads now so I think it’s more of an issue than you possibly realise. People are saying this repeatedly - dogs everywhere are an issue now. I expect it’s easier not to notice them if dogs don’t make you sick or terrify your child 🤷‍♀️

Which hotels do you stay in that refuse service animals such as guide dogs?

The problem is people are claiming it’s more of a problem than it is

One commented finding somewhere to stay in the Lake district was impossible. I found 50% just on one site booking.com
Another said they wouldn’t visit the U.K. because of comments on here another with
dogs are everywhere.

Personal experience is one thing but clearly there has been, somewhere along the line, a suggestion its the norm if people don’t feel they can visit the U.K.

I wanted to make it clear it isnt

That does not mean people’s personal experiences aren’t worthy of comment.

Guide dogs are not pets though.

No they are not pets but they are still dogs. I don't think allergies distinguish between working dogs and pet dogs is the point I'm making. Therefore there is no such thing as a guaranteed completely dog free space. So it's nonsensical to suggest that businesses can enforce this in any which way.

There not that many guide dogs. But there are too many pet dogs in shops cafes and restaurants.

When it was just guide dogs it was fine.

Ok so priority to a blind person with a dog and that dog is somehow not going to cause allergies or fear in someone who is scared of dogs (which is bizarre in itself.. So many kids scared of dogs which is mostly instilled by parents who just dislike them.. Perfect example - this thread).

Amazing how service dogs are OK but other dogs cause serious reactions... I'll take dogs over kids any day.. And I mean ANY DAY. ANY SITUATION. Period.

It needs to be in inverted comments because most idiots here have said service dogs are fine.
Ie I'm not that fucking allergic after all.

Just not liking somthing more pleasant than yourselves doesn't an allergy make.
I hate seafood. Hate it. So I tell people I'm allergic. It's like the 2000s call card for not liking something.
But whatever. I take dogs over people any day. And I mean that. Threads like these highlight why they're better people than people are and why business prioritise them.
Again it's better business to accept them than that 0.1% crying allergies or fear. Go elsewhere your business won't be missed.

Service dogs can be restricted in certain situations though. A taxi driver with a (registered) allergy doesn't have to take them. You can't take them through walk through enclosures at the zoo. If holiday accommodation is part of the owners home, they can refuse for medical reasons.

(And I didn't cause my child's dog phobia. The twits who thought it was funny their large dog knocked over a toddler did that. At least the owner of the one who knocked her off her bike were mortified and apologetic).

By what objective standards are all these dogs a “nuisance”? There are laws in place to deal with statutory nuisances so I presume would have led to the situation being sorted, unless of course you just mean you don’t like them so don’t want them around , in which case YABVU and tough luck!

Businesses don't have to cater for people with food allergies. They don't have to offer 'peanut free' food at all. They just have to be honest about the ingredients & risks.
It's acceptable to say 'we handle allergens on the premises & any of our food may contain traces' people with allergies can then make an informed choice whether to go there. If someone gets anaphalactic shock after being breathed on by someone whose eaten peanuts then they would know it isn't a suitable place for them, on the other hand someone who only suffers a reaction after eating a quantity of dairy or gets non-life threatening symptoms may decide it's not a significant risk & can check ingredients of their dish but otherwise visit as normal.

Same with dogs - premises should give information on whether a hotel room is used by pets but shouldnt be legally required to provide rooms or spaces that are dog allergen free.

They won’t cause allergies if we don’t enter/stay in a cafe when there’s a service dog there. (Might cause minimal allergies in the latter case.) I don’t see how that’s confusing you. We’d be happy to give priority to people with service dogs as I said.

I like dogs personally, but I don’t find others being scared bizarre. They bite on occasion and there have been some tragic stories in the news involving certain breeds. I’d be scared of a pit bull myself tbh.

People ARE voting with their wallets and they are getting more bookings from dog owners. Ten years ago I couldn’t holiday but can now take my dog with me. The majority of hotels are still not allowing dogs

its not though because you can choose somewhere that bans dogs though NOWHERE can ban an assistance dog . Do you think they should ban chemical cleaners in hotels because some people are highly allergic or every restaurant ban nuts?

It needs to be in inverted comments because most idiots here have said service dogs are fine.
Ie I'm not that fucking allergic after all.
Just not liking somthing more pleasant than yourselves doesn't an allergy make.
Service dogs are fine in the sense people are happy to accommodate and facilitate disabled people. There aren’t that many service dogs so on the rare occasion we can’t use a cafe because there’s a service dog there…that’s fine. We’re still allergic obviously and can’t share the space so prioritise the person with the service dog.

I hate seafood. Hate it. So I tell people I'm allergic. It's like the 2000s call card for not liking something.
Please don’t do that. That sort of attitude is why restaurant staff sometimes don’t take allergies seriously and it makes things much more dangerous for those of us who could die if they eat the wrong thing.

But whatever. I take dogs over people any day. And I mean that. Threads like these highlight why they're better people than people are and why business prioritise them.
Again it's better business to accept them than that 0.1% crying allergies or fear. Go elsewhere your business won't be missed.
You’re entitled to prefer dogs over people if you choose. There’s no logic in your statement here though (threads like this highlight why they’re better people than people are??) and your maths are way out too.

I’ve never taken a dog to a hotel but I am considering doing so. For many years dogs were excluded from virtually all hotels.
Unfortunately for those with allergies; more money can be made by businesses if they accept dogs.
Even if some rooms were pet free there would still be some dog hair and dander around which is potentially dangerous for those with an allergy.
Its not fair but I don’t see things changing in the foreseeable future

People are making false equivalences and assumptions here.

I’ve a child very allergic to dogs and another who’s anaphylactic to peanuts and tree nuts (also more mildly allergic to dogs).

If there were dogs in the café we couldn’t use it without DC reacting.

If they served nuts we could.
(DC couldn’t eat them obviously and we need to be extremely careful re food choices, but sitting in the cafe is not a problem.)

That is the reality of life with allergies and why those with dog allergies find dog friendly spaces a problem.

There's a dog friendly pub down the road from me that won't allow them in the garden, so work that one out. 🤷🏻‍♀️

In all the times I've been in Spoons I've never seen kids running around. The garden is where the smokers hang out, kids don't tend to be out there, especially at this time of year. (Used to live down the road from one before I moved when DS was tiny, so I'd go there, which meant I'd actually eat something.)

I always wonder at people who say they prefer dogs to people/children. (Especially children.) Because it won't be dogs looking after them when they're ill and in hospital or old and can no longer do things themselves. It'll be other people's children. Unless they hate people so much they'll refuse all medical treatment? @Sachrine

Yeah, some people suck. But I've never had another human bite me and leave scars. So I view any creature that can suspiciously.