Animal Wrongs

On Recent trip to a local farm supply store I spotted several people entering the store with dogs. I have watched reality shows and seen the stars sneaking animals into their hotel rooms. Service animals are going everywhere from nursing homes and schools to chemo labs to comfort people. This is all still a bit strange to me. When I was a kid I only knew two people who kept a dog in the house.  I knew one other family that had cats in the house.  It just did not seem as common as it is today.  We never had pets in the house.  We did have two dogs along the way, but both were outside dogs.  And back then most pets stayed at home unless they were farm dogs or hunting dogs.  But things changed over the years. I see pets everywhere. And I have a favorite dog though he is not mine.  I like dogs and would not mind having one of my own.  I understand all my cousins and friends who have animals and love those animals.  Animals are great.  But we have gone beyond that.  Animals are now allowed in lots of places.  The dogs I have seen are not service dogs.  Pets go shopping, to emergency shelters, to hotels, and anywhere else the owners can take them. A few years ago I saw an animal brought into a restaurant. The owners were asked to remove the animal.  But I am not sure that would happen today. And people sneak their pets in where they are not allowed.  Most of this would not bother me.  Except my mother is very allergic to all these animals.  A hug from someone who held their cat before leaving their house can put her in the hospital with pneumonia. The same thing happens if she is in close proximity to an animal or where an animal has been. If we were caught in a disaster and had to evacuate to an emergency shelter full of animals, my mother would likely not survive.  Her allergies are too severe.  But people put their right to have animals ahead of her right to breathe and live.  We will have to stop attending the extended family Christmas gathering because everyone feels the need to bring their dog.  We take our chances going to a hotel because we do not know if the previous occupant brought in an animal.  If we go to a store and other people bring animals, we have to leave.  My mother cannot even go visit my brother because they keep cats in their house.  She has tried the allergy shots.  Other allergies are improved, but animals remain high.  I am not against people having pets.  If my mother were not allergic, I might have a pet.  But I do object to the extremely low value they put on my mother's life.  Pets are left home alone when people go to work and school. It is possible to leave them home occasionally. But the rights of pets and pet owners now trump my Mother's right to breathe. So we will stay home from the store.  We will stop attending family Christmas.  We will not visit my brother.  We will be isolated because of your choices. You say "no offense," but we are offended.  And no offense but  your pet is not allowed in my house. My Mother would have to leave while we thoroughly cleaned and recleaned.  Do not be offended when we decline your invitations. We cannot risk pneumonia. No offense.  But your pet cannot come near my Mother.