Should people be aloud to bring their pets into public spaces?
By Mae
Have you ever wanted to bring your pet into a public space even though pets aren’t allowed there? Well before you break a rule, think again! Rules are usually in place for a good cause, and this one sure is! You shouldn’t bring pets into public spaces because of 4 main reasons: allergies, animal-borne diseases, and aggression.
First of all, you should not bring your pet into public spaces because of zoonoses (zoo-NO-sees). Zoonoses are animal to human diseases and are responsible for 2.2 million human deaths a year. Some of these diseases are tapeworms (which can affect your intestines or your brain), hookworm, roundworm, (those two can cause fevers and even blindness in humans) rabies, and cat scratch fever (50% of outdoor cats have this, which can cause fevers in humans.). In fact, 14 million pet-derived illnesses occur each year just in the U.S. You may be okay with taking these risks by getting a pet, but by bringing a pet into a public space, you are putting so many more people at risk.
Secondly, dogs can be aggressive, which can be dangerous for the people around them. In fact 4.5 million people in the U.S. get bit by dogs each year. When animals are scared they sometimes protect people or territory which can lead to biting, barking, nipping, and showing teeth. If they mistake a friendly gesture for a threat some scary things could happen. My dog has acted in this way in the past. For example, when a stranger enters the house she barks and sometimes even nips or jumps up. Also, over 2 million people in the U.S. have zoophobia (the fear of animals). If someone who was terribly afraid of say, dogs, and you bring your canine friend to the supermarket, things could get bad pretty quick.
Lastly, you shouldn’t bring pets into public spaces because it is dangerous for people with allergies. In fact, about one third of people in the united states with allergies of any kind are also allergic to cats and dogs. Even if you think you have a “hypoallergenic” dog or cat, they truly don’t exist. Symptoms of these allergies include but are not limited to: swelling, itching, stuffy nose, puffy eyes, rashes, and asthma. If pets were allowed in public spaces, people with allergies to those animals might not be able to go everywhere they would usually go.
You shouldn’t bring your pet into public spaces because of allergies, zoonoses, and aggression. You might want to bring your pet into public spaces, but think of other people and how it might affect them. So remember, respect other people, and don’t bring pets into public spaces!
Sources I used in the making of this opinion piece:
- Pets Allowed by Patricia Marx
- aafa.org
- Psychologytoday.com
- PetMd.com
- Huffington Post
