No one can deny the benefits of animal companions, but the Dec. 29 opinion piece by Katie Spencer White about homeless shelters accepting animals, while well intentioned, overlooks one important fact: over 10% of the population have significant animal allergies, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Those with allergies must avoid airborne or surface contact with animal dander and saliva, which often linger after the animal has departed. Before an allergic person can enter any living space, it needs to be thoroughly cleaned and ventilated. So, if there are several animals in the shelter on any given day, what does the unfortunate homeless person with allergies do? They can try to put up with the rashes, cough, asthma, nasal congestion etc., or stay outdoors.
Most people who own animals are unaware of this problem or the degree to which the allergies can impact a person’s life. When animals are brought to indoor public spaces such as pet friendly restaurants, meeting spaces, or public transportation, people with animal allergies either suffer the symptoms or are forced to leave. Service animals are a necessity, but they should be isolated as much as possible. Pets do not belong in public enclosed indoor spaces that do not offer separate, enclosed animal-free areas.
Joseph L. Wolfson, M.D.
Kennebunk
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.