Non Service Animals Attending Mass With Their Human Companion

[nikita92]

Im NOT talking about a SERVICE animal doing its job! Im talking about a wee little lap dog being held by it's owner while attending a weekday service. Is it acceptable to bring a animal inside a church???????? I looked over my shoulder a few pews behind and across from me...and she was holding a dog! I must admit, that my first reaction was somewhat dismay...not to mention a few questions that came to mind after my intial ones. I work in a service oriented field..I have to beware of state rules and regulations. I know about service animals. In this case..besides my own opinion...what is yours???? Obviously my church..allowed it. This is a first for me.

[CatherineM]

There may be non-visible disabilities at work here. There is a large project here to put a dog in the hands of every Afghan Vet with PTSD. Some literally can't leave their homes with their dogs. There are some people with mental illnesses so severe they can only attend mass during the week because Sundays are too crowded. My husband had to do that for several years.

My biggest concern would be if the priest gave the dog communion. Other than that, he may just know something about the woman that isn't apparent just by looking at her.

[homeschoolmom]

On the other hand, there *are* people who do think that their pets belong everywhere they go. :rolleyes:

 

 

[Selah]

Well, in many Russian Orthodox parishes, the only animal that is allowed in the sanctuary is the cat. They can come and go as they please. 

 

Also, no dogs.

 

Yay ^_^

[mysisterisalittlesister]

Some dogs detect an oncoming siezire in an epileptic person. Some dogs sniff out penuts for people who are allergic. Then again, as HSM said, some people just take their pets to Mass. Once, I sat in front of someone holding an extremely well behaved parrot at Mass. I've never heard of a "guide parrot" or anything, but there may be. You never know.

[i<3LSOP]

Some dogs detect an oncoming siezire in an epileptic person. Some dogs sniff out penuts for people who are allergic. Then again, as HSM said, some people just take their pets to Mass. Once, I sat in front of someone holding an extremely well behaved parrot at Mass. I've never heard of a "guide parrot" or anything, but there may be. You never know.

 

 

All very true. I sat in front of someone in Mass with a parrot too, no joke.

[homeschoolmom]

Some people are highly allergic to animals and don't like encountering them in places that should be animal-free.

[Starets]

If it isn't a service animal it doesn't belong in church during Mass. Period. Cats ccan count as service animals because they keep the place free of mice and rats. Or at least they did at Christ in the Desert!

[EmilyAnn]

Mass isn't really an appropriate place to bring a pet. I agree with homeschoolmom on the allergies thing especially.

 

But as others have pointed out service animals may not be obviously service animals. I saw a dog lying by the front pew once after Mass and was very confused. I only realised the next week that it's a guide dog for a blind lady, but there was no obvious sign it was a guide dog until I saw them putting the harness on it after Mass. 

[Nihil Obstat]

If they are not service animals, then there simply is no excuse. If they are service animals then I have no problem whatsoever, as long as they behave, do not make a mess, and do not enter the sanctuary.

And just to clarify, I have never seen a service animal that was not behaving.

Edited November 28, 2012 by Nihil Obstat

[Basilisa Marie]

As long as the animal was behaving, I would assume it was some kind of service animal unless I was told otherwise.  There's a lady at my home parish who always brings her little dog with her to Mass, because she has some kind of anxiety disorder.  The dog is always quiet and well-behaved, stays on her lap, you wouldn't even know it was there unless you saw it.  

[homeschoolmom]

As long as the animal was behaving, I would assume it was some kind of service animal unless I was told otherwise.  There's a lady at my home parish who always brings her little dog with her to Mass, because she has some kind of anxiety disorder.  The dog is always quiet and well-behaved, stays on her lap, you wouldn't even know it was there unless you saw it.  

 

Or unless you were allergic to it. :|

 

Fortunately, I am not allergic to many small lap dogs.

 

Unfortunately, I am very highly allergic to many breeds that work as service dogs-- labs, retrievers, shepherds, etc.

 

It's nice to see service dogs in their special harnesses-- it makes me aware that that dog is needed. And while I would prefer (for my health) that it not be there, I understand that for someone else's benefit, it must be. That's my cross to bear. Seeing a non-harnessed pet sitting in someone's lap (especially while that someone is *driving*) does not give me that same feeling.

[nikita92]

Thanks everyone for your input! ;)

[HisChildForever]

She might have been running errands and didn't think she'd have time for daily Mass but finished early - and was afraid to leave the dog in the car. Maybe she's left the dog in the car before for a short trip into the grocery store and it misbehaved or had serious anxiety. She probably assumed that for this one time it would be alright, especially since it's a tiny dog, not a mastiff.

 

Why did you look over your shoulder a few pews behind and across? Was the dog making noise?

 

I know it was an odd sight but let's not judge this woman. She was probably embarrassed.

[Aloysius]

so aside from everyone's general cultural sense that animals don't belong at mass, is there anything to actually support this?  I've been in places where there have been dogs in the Church, I've been places where the priest had a dog and went around the Church with his dog, so I'm curious... this seems like a particular matter of etiquette, but I don't think there are any actual norms against it and I'm not so sure I have any problem at all with animals being at mass if they're behaved and quiet.

 

for those who are against it, do you find it rude or irreverent?  I'm curious as to people's reasoning, I can understand the former but I'm not so sure I'd go as far as to say the latter, I don't think it's necessarily irreverent to bring animals into a Church.  it might be rude in particular cultural contexts, and that'd be reason enough to discourage it because people should be considerate at mass according to people's social expectations, but I don't see it as irreverent (unless it was noisy)

Edited December 1, 2012 by Aloysius