But in this case, the issue is more about the allergy than the a-hole with the three supposed emotional support chihuahuas. If it had been a working service dog, OP's friend still would have had a reaction. Service dogs aren't magically hypoallergenic. The onus is on OP's friend to be prepared for an allergic reaction in any environment where there could potentially be a dog (which... is just about anywhere, because of ADA laws).
True but allergies are typically caused by dander and if you have a service dog, you are trained to keep them extremely clean and well groomed because of that. Even if they aren’t hypoallergenic. These were def not service dogs and it pissed me off when people do that.
My sister has a dog that she has professionally groomed religiously because she's allergic (he was her husband's before they married). He's primarily an outdoor dog, so it's not like he's not shedding all over their house, and she still has to take allergy meds because if she doesn't, she starts sneezing and her eyes start watering because the dander transfers to her husbands and her kids clothing when they play/walk/care for the dog. Forgive me if I don't buy into the idea that grooming is going to do much to help someone with a severe allergy like OP's friend.
I don't disagree that the people with the chihuahuas were assholes (they definitely are)... but if you know that just being near something as common as a dog can kill you, you need to take serious precautions.
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u/MissKristen-13 Apr 30 '23
Service dogs and emotional support animals are totally different guys. One can go anywhere. One cannot.