The case in summary Summary:• Porsgrunn municipality introduces a ban on pets in all municipal buildings from 1 November, which includes nursing homes.• The ban has been introduced due to allergies among employees, but exceptions have been made for guide dogs and certified therapy dogs.• The municipality considers now to make more exceptions after reactions, especially for visiting dogs brought by employees and relatives.• The Allergy Association supports the ban and wants more municipalities to do the same, as around 15 per cent of the population is allergic to fur animals. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – I see how happy he gets when he sees that dog, says Vibeke Arnesen, a relative. She visits her brother at the nursing home five days a week. Then the dog Georg is an important part of the visit. Georg is a small dog that is a mix of Pomeranian and Tibetan spaniel – I lift it up and put it on his lap, and he pats it. My brother doesn’t speak much, but I look at him and he’s happy, says Vibeke Arnesen. Georg is one of the visiting dogs that brings joy to the elderly at the nursing home. He is in the walker, or is allowed to get into the bed of residents to say good night. Arnesen sees that the elderly light up when Georg comes to visit. The dog Georg creates a lot of joy among residents at Mule nursing home in Porsgrunn. But now he and the dogs can be banned from visiting the nursing home. – It is simply poorly done by the municipality, says Arnesen. Has made a ban on pets Porsgrunn municipality has made a ban on pets in all municipal buildings from 1 November. The decision was recently made by the alderman’s management team. – It is primarily about allergies among employees, says municipal manager for health and care, Bente Aasoldsen. In the decision, some exceptions are made. Among other things for guide dogs and certified therapy dogs. But Aasoldsen is now open to making more exceptions after the reactions that have come. In the nursing homes in the municipality, they have both certified therapy dogs and visiting dogs. The visiting dogs are taken by employees and relatives. – And this is where we now need an exception to the rule. Becoming a certified therapy dog is a big job and costs a lot of money, so we cannot expect employees and relatives to do it. – Will that mean that the dogs at Mule nursing home will still be allowed to come? – We are working to find a solution to that. We must have routines that ensure that we know if there is anyone on the ward who has allergies, and who thus becomes ill because the dogs are there. We will achieve that by 1 November. Gets support from the Allergy Association The Allergy Association wants more municipalities to follow the example of Porsgrunn. Around 15 per cent are allergic to fur animals, and for those who become ill, it can be difficult to use public services, says Charlotte Hack-Godtfredsen, head of the Allergy Association in Telemark. Leader of the Allergy Association in Telemark, Charlotte Hack-Godtfredsen, says that a ban on pets in public buildings is not common, but that several places are working on it. Photo: PRIVAT – Although there are many positives with animals, it is also unfortunately an obstacle to universal design and accessibility, she says. Few municipalities have so far introduced a ban in public buildings, she says. – We know that work is being done to get approval for it in several places, but it is not very common, says Hack-Godtfredsen. She thinks it will be difficult to check whether there are allergy sufferers among employees, in order to continue the scheme. – New substitutes, patients and relatives who have severe allergies may come in. There is also a certain stigma surrounding reporting allergies. You become a bit of the big, ugly wolf that means other people can’t have animals, she says. One solution could be to limit the visits of the dogs to a room in a nursing home, but even then employees and residents will drag allergens into the premises with them if they do not change their clothes, she points out. Will be happy with Georg It is nursing assistant Stine Renate Olsen who owns Georg. She says they are two employees who bring dogs to work at the nursing home. For the past six months, Georg has been at work almost every day. She believes he gives the residents security and joy. – It has happened that I have called my daughter to come down with the dog. Because they get so upset if I don’t have him with me. She says she is keen to find out if anyone reacts to the dog. That is why she does not take Georg to a new patient until she knows that the patient tolerates dogs. In addition, all students, apprentices and new employees are asked about allergies. – We do not take him in as a matter of course.
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– He spreads so much joy – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
