To want holiday accommodation that’s not dog friendly

[Pikachuspal]

Almost every place I look at is advertised as dog friendly! My kids are allergic to animal hair, as in react to hair on someone’s clothes. What’s the point in forking out for a holiday for it to be potentially ruined by hair and manky dog smell?

@SockFluffInTheBath

www.crabtreeandcrabtree.com/properties/?sleeps=4&features=Dog%20%20pet%20free

47 there in Scotland & north of England from the first website I tried. I’m sure they’re probably not in the part of Scotland you want though.

Thanks for the link. I've found an ideal place for me next year, pretty good price, lovely area, enclosed garden. All the bells and whistles I want anyway.

Yup, assistance dogs will be allowed in even the 'not pet friendly' accomodation.

If it is that hard to find a cottage that is clean enough not to trigger a deathly allergic, might I suggest, cottage based holidays are not for you, maybe get your own caravan instead?

Sometimes, we just can't have what we want.

No, it is illegal to refuse access to an assistance dog, it would count as discrimination to the disabled person who needs them

Thereisan occupational exemption where the service provider has an allergy to dogs--an obvious example being a taxi driver.

However, the only case I've ever heard of where someone claimed it, the taxi driver didn't have a medical cert to that effect, had only used "I'm allergic to dogs" as a shouted excuse as he drove past the blind person who'd booked to travel, had on previous occasions flatly refused to carry a guide dog without citing allergy, and it was obvious it was a personal/ cultural/ religious dislike. I suspect the chances of someone both having a genuine serious allergyandworking in a job where it would present an issue are miniscule.

@Doggirl

Although you do need to be aware that no holiday home owner/hotel/air bnb can refuse a service dog for the blind

Or indeed any kind of official service animal (we are not yet at the stage of the USA, where people self-declaring all kinds of unlikely critters as 'therapy animals' devalues the concept for those who genuinely need a service animal).

Sadly, the law is often blatantly flouted on this: people with guide dogs being left alone late at night once the taxi driver sees the dog etc..

I don't have a service dog, but I used to travel for work regularly with someone that did. I lost count of the number of times that establishments and taxis tried to refuse service because of the dog.
It was infuriating. We always reported these places and my colleague was paid compensation a number of times.

Having had a dog I would say the majority of places do not allow pets so I'm sure you can find places to suit you. If you select dog friendly properties, then not, you will see the difference in numbers.

@Terfydactyl 👍

My cousin has a holiday cottage. They say that dog owners are much more respectful of the property than people who bring small children and let them run wild.

Me too I don’t want someone’s dog all over a bed or sofa I’m using. I’m massively allergic too and it would ruin my break for a dog to have been there.
For anyone who thinks I’m exaggerating a Professor said I had the highest levels he had ever seen.

This site allows you to search by whether the property allows pets or not (it’s Northumberland only though). I also prefer somewhere that doesn’t allow pets, I just don’t think the pet friendly ones are ever as clean and you never know whether the dogs have been sleeping in the beds etc.

www.northumbria-cottages.co.uk/

There are so many more places that are not pet friendly than that are. I find it very hard to find pet friendly places when I am booking. YABU.

@SevenWaystoLeave

"No, it is illegal to refuse access to an assistance dog, it would count as discrimination to the disabled person who needs them (in order for this to apply, however, the dog must be certified by a recognised assistance dog organisation, people can't just claim any dog or other pet is an assistance animal without proper training)."

not true. In the UK there is no such thing as certification or registration and anybody can claim that any animal is an assistance animal BUT as I said, the relevant law only talks about reasonable adjustment. If a shop is small for instance, or a holiday rental is set up for the use of people with animal allergies then the owner can refuse access to people who need an assistance animal.....even a guide dog.

you never know whether the dogs have been sleeping in the beds etc.

You do know they change the sheets?

Not that ours is allowed upstairs anywhere away from home.

I am really surprised.
Last summer we wanted to go away with our dog, and I would say the number that didn't take dogs was more than half. Well more, more like 75%

I’d prefer dogs to kids in my holiday home tbh (although I don’t even own a home to live in so that’s a moot point!).

@DownToTheSeaAgain

My cousin has a holiday cottage. They say that dog owners are much more respectful of the property than people who bring small children and let them run wild.

As a holiday home owner of gites for 20 years I can confirm this. Dogs don't eat their dinner on the sofa, smear yoghurt all over the table and TV, take apart the board games and hide scrabble pieces all over the house, I could go on. But I agree, there is a need for non friendly pet accommodation for families with allergies or phobias of dogs and cats. It does exist!

I can understand that some places haven’t cleaned properly, but if somewhere has been dusted, hoovered, beds changed and hard surfaces cleaned or mopped (which is what I’d expect of any holiday home), is it still a problem? Genuine question!

[quote godmum56]@SevenWaystoLeave

"No, it is illegal to refuse access to an assistance dog, it would count as discrimination to the disabled person who needs them (in order for this to apply, however, the dog must be certified by a recognised assistance dog organisation, people can't just claim any dog or other pet is an assistance animal without proper training)."

not true. In the UK there is no such thing as certification or registration and anybody can claim that any animal is an assistance animal BUT as I said, the relevant law only talks about reasonable adjustment. If a shop is small for instance, or a holiday rental is set up for the use of people with animal allergies then the owner can refuse access to people who need an assistance animal.....even a guide dog.[/quote]
This is completely untrue and you don't know what you're talking about.

I on tge other hand can't find dog friendly accomodation when I need it... try Vbro.

Where is this halcyon place where all cafes and pubs allow dogs and there are no dog free cottages and hotels? I have a dog and we work hard to find places he IS allowed:

• Centre Parcs, Haven etc have a very limited selection of dog friendly lodges / caravans that you specifically have to book.
• Hotels are an almost universal no. I think travelodge do but Premier inn don’t.
• Pubs generally let dogs in but normally bar only
• Cafes are often a no unless they have outside seating
• Restaurants are a no
• Tourist attractions (zoos, museums, aquariums, theme Parcs etc.) are all no dogs
• National Trust allow dogs only in wider outside areas, not indoor or in formal gardens

I’m not suggesting dogs SHOULD be allowed everywhere but suggesting it’s impossible to have a holiday without ending bunking in with a dog is a ridiculous over exaggeration.

If a shop is small for instance, or a holiday rental is set up for the use of people with animal allergies then the owner can refuse access to people who need an assistance animal.....even a guide dog.

The onus is very much on the service provider to justify why the dog can't be accommodated. A guide dog only takes as much space as a person with shopping in a shop, so unless the shop is literally phonebox-sized it won't be an issue. And I have never heard of a holiday rental being designated for allergy sufferers--in the unlikely event of being true, it would have been advertised as such so a guide dog owner wouldn't try to book it anyway. An accommodation owner who only tried to claim the place was "set up for allergy sufferers" once a guide dog owner tried to book it, wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

Accommodation is often advertised with a number of providers. Make sure you check that the accommodation is not advertised as pet friendly elsewhere before booking.

I can understand that some places haven’t cleaned properly, but if somewhere has been dusted, hoovered, beds changed and hard surfaces cleaned or mopped (which is what I’d expect of any holiday home), is it still a problem? Genuine question!

Yes it is. It’s not about cleaning, or hoovering hairs. It’s about allergen molecules which stick to walls for up to 6 months.

I’ve been in houses where a dog was visiting 2 weeks or so previously. I start sneezing and wheezing.

@Blossomtoes

you never know whether the dogs have been sleeping in the beds etc.

You do know they change the sheets?

Not that ours is allowed upstairs anywhere away from home.

Ha, yes I know they change the sheets! My cat sleeps on the beds at home, I just feel weird about the idea that unknown dogs could have been sleeping on the pillows etc. It’s not particularly logical of me!

Allergy free holiday accommodation. There’s other websites as well.

www.cherishedcottages.co.uk/category/property-features/allergy-friendly-holiday-cottages/

Most dog friendly hotels have specific rooms that are dog friendly, they don’t allow dogs in every room (presumably for exactly this reason). Similarly I’ve stayed in places with some dog friendly cottages and some where dogs aren’t allowed. If it’s a specific rental you’re looking at then fair enough, but if it’s a hotel or a holiday park place with a few different houses/cottages then just call them and ask if they have any accommodation where dogs aren’t allowed.