I'm an animal lover and have had dogs for over half my life.
But how is someone's stress-relief balanced with someone else's anxiety from being close to dogs? Is it fair for someone with Cynophobia (fear of dogs) to have to see dogs at an airport?
Would "stress-relieving tarantulas" be permitted at the same venue? What about "stress-relieving snakes"?
You already see dogs at an airport. Travel with dogs is legal, and dogs are already used for bomb and drug patrols.
If someone is irrationally afraid of windows, we aren't going to build our buildings with just huge gaping holes in them. If someone has an irrational fear, it is incumbent on them to either address it with mental healthcare or else avoid the trigger. The rest of society shouldn't deprive itself of valuable advancements just because some slice of the population is uncomfortable for reasons which they themselves would admit as irrational.
The difference is, unlike windows, which you'd expect to see on a building, dogs shouldn't be in places you wouldn't expect them to be in.
If you have a fear of dogs (or snakes, or large spiders), it's easy to avoid them.
But when these animals are placed in areas where they would not be expected to be in or around, you are creating a negative situation without considering the effects on others.
And it doesn't even need to be a fear of dogs. It could be an allergy, too.
If someone has an irrational fear, it is incumbent on them to either address it with mental healthcare or else avoid the trigger.
This is the irony. If someone has an irrational fear of flying, they should take steps to quell those fears without "depriving society", as you put it.
Medication, deep breathing, counselling... these are all things that can help someone without indirectly creating problems for someone else.
Someone might calm their anxiety by smoking weed. But you shouldn't expect other people to have to deal with the smell and smoke from it. Same with dogs. There's a time and a place for dogs, but the airport isn't one of them.
Irrational? Dogs, unlike windows, can bite you
Also people with severe allergies
Thank you. My partner is afraid around dogs and cats, and news like this makes me feel bad for her.
I had the same dilemma about emotional support animals.
I'm an animal lover and have had dogs for over half my life.
But how is someone's stress-relief balanced with someone else's anxiety from being close to dogs? Is it fair for someone with Cynophobia (fear of dogs) to have to see dogs at an airport?
Would "stress-relieving tarantulas" be permitted at the same venue? What about "stress-relieving snakes"?
You already see dogs at an airport. Travel with dogs is legal, and dogs are already used for bomb and drug patrols.
If someone is irrationally afraid of windows, we aren't going to build our buildings with just huge gaping holes in them. If someone has an irrational fear, it is incumbent on them to either address it with mental healthcare or else avoid the trigger. The rest of society shouldn't deprive itself of valuable advancements just because some slice of the population is uncomfortable for reasons which they themselves would admit as irrational.
The difference is, unlike windows, which you'd expect to see on a building, dogs shouldn't be in places you wouldn't expect them to be in.
If you have a fear of dogs (or snakes, or large spiders), it's easy to avoid them.
But when these animals are placed in areas where they would not be expected to be in or around, you are creating a negative situation without considering the effects on others.
And it doesn't even need to be a fear of dogs. It could be an allergy, too.
This is the irony. If someone has an irrational fear of flying, they should take steps to quell those fears without "depriving society", as you put it.
Medication, deep breathing, counselling... these are all things that can help someone without indirectly creating problems for someone else.
Someone might calm their anxiety by smoking weed. But you shouldn't expect other people to have to deal with the smell and smoke from it. Same with dogs. There's a time and a place for dogs, but the airport isn't one of them.
Irrational? Dogs, unlike windows, can bite you
Also people with severe allergies
Thank you. My partner is afraid around dogs and cats, and news like this makes me feel bad for her.
I had the same dilemma about emotional support animals.