[NAGDU] Choir and dog alergies

[Miranda]

Hi everyone,
I am a member of our church choir, and a very dear friend who is also a member of the choir just told me today that she is extremely allergic to dogs. She has to take allergy medication on a monthly basis, and her reaction to being even remotely near dogs is dangerous. While I do not yet have a guide dog, I am trying to figure out what to do in this situation. I do not want to quit participating in the choir, nor do I want my friend to feel at all  obligated to do so in order for me to have my dog with me.
I feel like the only alternative is to not take my dog to choir rehearsals on Wednesday nights, and to have my dog stay with my husband in the church sanctuary when I am singing with the choir on Sunday mornings. I don't actually think the dog would fit well in the choir loft anyway, as it is a very tight space even just with people in it let alone having a dog there as well. Yes, I realize the dog would lie under my chair, but this would be extremely tight quarters and may not be practical in regards to having people move in and out of the loft when entering and exiting, etc.
Also, I think that my husband and I would probably need to leave our dogs at home when we spend time with this friend and her husband outside of church activities. Can anyone provide some insight about dealing with people who are deathly allergic to dogs? Yes, I realize that typically the person who is allergic will just need to stay as far away from the dog as possible, but what if that is not practical? Do you just leave the dog at home if you happen to know about this situation ahead of time, and the person with the allergy is taking all possible preventative measures? what about a situation when you are not aware of allergy problems ahead of time?  Any insight, advice, or experience would be very much appreciated.
Thanks as always for your time and assistance, and have a wonderful week!

Best wishes, Miranda


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