Why we’ve chosen to be a Pet Free, Allergy Friendly Vacation Rental
During the Covid years, when people booked staycations and set off in their cars with all the members of their family, including their four-legged friends for their holiday getaway, a huge number of rental properties suddenly started to allow pets and even threw in some dog friendly goodies in their stay package.
Post Covid, the trend has continued, especially as the cost of putting animals in kennels and dog hotels has dramatically increased.
We absolutely love dogs and had a dog for many years (a Beagle called Ginger – see her picture below). Pet friendly accommodation is a fantastic option for people who are not able to leave their dogs in the care of others.
However, following an alarming allergy incident that we experienced at a property we rented in Europe last year, the tide has turned for us and we have gone completely in the opposite direction.
Our property is now Pet free and allergy friendly.
Pet Allergies. A very serious consideration for many guests
The subject of allergies has become a huge topic of discussion around the world as more and more people discover they are allergic to dogs and cats, mold spores, dust and many different types of foods. The severity of allergic reaction can range wildly from light to life threatening and can include sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, itchy and watery eyes, coughing, wheezing and skin rashes. In more severe cases, people can experience difficulty breathing and asthma symptoms.
When we first opened our doors to guests at Villa Ibis, we welcomed pets, especially as we are dog lovers and had our own beautiful Beagle, Ginger, for 16 years, until she passed in 2019. We put in place some rules and regulations to reduce the possibility of damage to furniture and furnishings and insect infestations. And thanks to our respectful guests, we did not experience any issues.
How a severe allergy attack changed everything
While traveling in Europe in 2022, we rented a pet friendly property. After a short time of entering the house, one family member complained of itchy eyes and a scratchy throat and quickly developed asthma like symptoms. This turned into a very serious allergic reaction. After talking with the owner, we discovered that the property had been occupied the previous week with guests who brought dogs and a cat.
We immediately had to leave and check into a hotel. It was a very expensive mistake on our part.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not the fur that causes the allergic reaction but the proteins that are carried in the saliva, dander and urine of cats and dogs.
People with pet allergies cannot afford to take any risks as a severe allergic reaction can be life threatening.
When we are looking for properties to rent, we have to filter on ‘pet free’ so that we can avoid a serious incident like this ever happening again.
After we arrived back in Panama, we made the difficult decision to refuse pets in our property, even though some of our best clients had brought their dogs without incident.
Our property is now a Pet free rental.
I have a Hypoallergenic Dog. Would they be permitted to stay?
Hypoallergenic means the dog has hair, instead of fur, which grows like human hair and doesn’t shed, but needs to be regularly cut or trimmed. (Jackapoo, Poodles, Yorkshire Terriers, Bichon and Maltese are hypoallergenic breeds).
These dog breeds have less oily skin which helps reduce the amount of allergenic material and proteins released into the environment.
However, many people may still experience allergies or asthma symptoms, even with hypoallergenic breeds. For this reason, we don’t permit any dogs to stay, even if they are hypoallergenic.
What about allergies to dust and mold? Do you take other preventative measures in your vacation rental?
Due to the heat and humidity in Panama, many people have mold and dust allergies, including several members of our family.
We have taken several measures to limit the impact of these potential allergies by doing the following in our vacation rental:
- Allergy-Friendly Bedding: All our mattresses are hypoallergenic and new (within the last two years). In addition, all mattresses have hypoallergenic zip up encasement covers which are resistant to dust mites and bed bugs. All the bedding is washed and cleaned on a regular basis. Pillows are also hypoallergenic and have a zip up encasement undercover.
- Dust mite control: the house is thoroughly cleaned every week. Sofa cushions are regularly put outside on sunny days to kill any possible dust mites. In all rooms, except the master bedroom, we have window blinds. These reduce the possibility of dust mites. In the master bedroom, there are curtains at on the south facing sliding doors to the pool. This is a very sunny aspect and sun deters dust mites as they do not like hot, dry atmospheres!
- Tiled floors: All the floors of the house are terracotta porcelain or marble which means they can be easily cleaned. The throw rugs are regularly cleaned to limit the incidence of dust mites.
- Low humidity: Villa Ibis is in a unique south facing position and is very well constructed. It does not suffer from humidity or damp as many properties do in a tropical climate.
- No plug-in air fresheners: Plug-in air fresheners can contain chemical irritants and fragrance compounds that allergy sufferers are allergic to, so we avoid having them in our property and opt instead for diffusers.
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