Am I Wrong for Skipping Friends Pet Adoption Event Due to Severe Allergy?
"Would I be wrong to skip my friend's pet adoption event due to severe allergies, even though it means a lot to her? Reddit weighs in."
A 28-year-old woman refused to show up to her friend Sarah’s “new dog” celebration, and now everyone wants to know if she’s the villain. It’s not drama for drama’s sake either, this is about a serious, life-threatening dog allergy that has already turned into a hospital-level situation.
Sarah (27) adopted a dog after months of talking about it, and she planned a small gathering to celebrate the big moment. She invited OP, who is deathly allergic to dogs, and she keeps pushing the idea that OP can just “come for a little while” and take medication, even though OP has warned her before and even had to cancel plans when Sarah brought the dog without warning last time.
So yeah, this is not just “skip a party,” it’s one wrong move away from another ER visit.
Original Post
I (28F) have always been a huge animal lover, and so is my friend Sarah (27F). Sarah recently adopted a dog after talking about it for months, and she's understandably over the moon about it.
She's planning a small gathering to celebrate her new furry family member, and has invited a few friends including me. Here's the catch: I'm deathly allergic to dogs.
Like, hospitalization-level allergic. This is something Sarah knows very well about me, as I've had severe reactions before when in contact with dogs.
Despite this, she insists that I should come to her pet adoption event because 'it means a lot to her.' I feel torn because while I want to support Sarah and share in her happiness, attending this event could literally endanger my health. I've tried explaining this to her, but she keeps insisting that 'it's just for a little while' and 'I can take medication.' I've already had to cancel plans with her in the past when she visited me and brought her dog without warning, which resulted in a hospital visit for me.
So, Reddit, would I be the a*****e if I refuse to attend Sarah's pet adoption event to prioritize my health, even though it means a lot to her?
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This also echoes the AITA fight where one woman refused her friend’s dog inside despite protests.
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The second OP’s name was on Sarah’s invite list for the adoption event, the whole plan started feeling like a trap, especially after that last surprise dog visit landed OP in the hospital.
Sarah’s “just take medication” argument hits different when OP has already had severe reactions from the same kind of contact.
And the fact that OP is trying to support Sarah’s happiness, while still protecting their own health, is what makes this refusal feel less petty and more survival-mode.
Now OP has to decide if skipping the gathering is selfish, or if it’s the only way to avoid another “dog showed up unannounced” nightmare.
What are your thoughts on this situation? Share your perspective in the comments below.
OP is not wrong for protecting their body, even if Sarah’s dog party is the one thing it gets in the way of.
Want the same allergy showdown, read about refusing your allergic friend’s cat in a pet-friendly home.
