An alleged old post about pet owners using a baby diaper changing station for their dog sparked discussions about responsible pet ownership.
A Filipino Reddit user posted pictures of two individuals using a wall-mounted diaper changing station in the female restroom of a shopping mall, claiming it was in a mall in Pampanga.
The incident reportedly happened in 2021, the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Gigil ako sa ganitong klase na pet owners,” the Redditor said on Monday, July 7.
“Since madami ako nakikita na posts about irresponsible pet owners sa mga public places, share ko na rin ‘yung never ko na makakalimutan way back in 2021,” the uploader added.
“Pandemic era pa ‘to… Ginagamit nila sa dog nila ‘yung diaper changing table for babies! Grabe!” the Redditor continued.
Gigil ako sa ganitong klase na pet owners
byu/Any_Fact_2712 inGigilAko
The post also appeared on other platforms like Facebook and Threads, where some fellow dog owners expressed distaste for the action, pointing out that the diaper changing station was intended for human babies.
“Huwag gayahin. Mga kapwa ko DLPs (Dog Lovers of the Philippines), huwag naman maging entitled kagaya nila!” a Facebook user said.
“Stup!d pet owners using the baby’s diaper changing area for their fur ‘baby.’ The man is also inside the women’s comfort room. I’ll get it if it’s a real child, but for a dog? How entitled can be these fur ‘parents’ be?” a user on Threads wrote.
“Araaay ko. Grabe naman ‘yan. Ako, kahit gaano ko kamahal ‘yung Fur baby ko, ‘di ko naman para ilapag sa diaper changing table. Madaming baby ang allergic sa balahibo. Kawawa naman ‘yung susunod na gagamit niyan, lalo na kung ‘di nilinisan after,” said another user.
“Tapos ilalapag mo diyan ‘yung months-old mong baby na sensitive pa since medyo newborn. Hays, apaka naman talaga ng ibang tao,” commented another Pinoy.
“Fur parents should know that not all people can tolerate their pets. Some babies might develop allergies or skin disease if exposed sa danders and fur nung pet. Some babies might already have allergies and this can put them in danger, especially not knowing na someone’s pet has been there,” said a different user.
What malls’ policies say
There are select establishments in the mall that are pet-friendly or where customers can bring their pets along.
As for SM Supermalls, its pet policy stated that “pets should not be placed on the diaper changer or baby seats” in restrooms.
