Emotional support pets or companions?

I wholeheartedly agree with the May 10 letter to the editor, written by Roberta Stephens of Deerfield Beach, questioning why dogs are permitted in department stores. She explained that a dog’s urine left on the floor of a retail store caused a woman to slip and fall. While I respect the right of individuals to own dogs, there’s another side of the picture.

Many people have severe allergies to or a fear of dogs. It was for that reason that I moved into a “no pets” building 17 years ago. However, there are currently two individuals in my building who have dogs that, they say, are emotional support animals. The animals are permitted to go virtually anywhere the owner goes in the building and can use any of the elevators.

I have also seen dogs sniffing at the food in my local supermarket, and walking on a leash in church as the owner received Holy Communion! There were 10 dogs in the gate area of a recent Southwest Airlines flight, and one that was directly behind me on the flight was not kept in a crate but rather on the lap of the owner, where it could easily move about or nip a passersby.

I have no problem with trained service dogs used by the blind or by those who truly need them, but not by those who simply like having a pet accompany them to places they had no trouble going to in the past.

I have been told that emotional support certificates can readily be obtained online, and I know that many doctors easily grant such a certificate to individuals who simply ask for one. So now I’d like to know — where are the rights of those who have a problem with dogs and what can be done to ensure those rights? Marie Altenburg, Fort Lauderdale