Your love for dogs might be causing real problems for some Aussies—here’s how

Australia has gone mad for dogs.

Cafes roll out the red carpet for four-legged visitors, while airlines now allow pets in cabins.

But for some, this tail-wagging enthusiasm has turned daily life into a minefield.

Perth local Shellie Holmes knows this all too well.

She suffers from cynophobia—the intense, uncontrollable fear of dogs—and the nation’s dog obsession has been shrinking her world, one dog-friendly venue at a time.

Holmes described her anxiety as a constant presence.

Animal phobias are among the most common specific phobias, with about one in three sufferers fearing dogs specifically.

Unlike snakes or spiders, which people rarely encounter, dogs are ubiquitous in Australian life, making cynophobia particularly distressing.

Her husband Matt Huey has seen the severity of her condition first-hand.

'I've seen her chased by a dog that just wanted to say hello to her, and she will scream and run away,' he explained.

'She's been trapped in lifts with dogs, and she panics. It's extreme.'

Australia’s love of dogs shows no signs of slowing.

Almost half of Australian households now have at least one dog, totalling more than 7.3 million canines according to Animal Medicines Australia, a figure that has jumped by more than 2 million in three years.

Businesses have embraced this trend, with dog-friendly policies spreading from cafés to hair salons, major retailers, offices, and even airplanes.

What delights millions of Australians has made public spaces increasingly hostile for Holmes and others with cynophobia.

Treatment for cynophobia is available, but it presents challenges.

Only 12 to 30 per cent of people with a specific phobia seek help, often deterred by cost, access, and the complexities of treating a phobia that involves a nation’s most popular pet.

Sahra O'Doherty, president of the Australian Association of Psychologists, said cynophobia could be treated with exposure therapy, though it could not be cured.

Sessions are lengthy, costly, and require controlled exposure to dogs that many practitioners cannot provide.

Hope exists for sufferers.

Australia’s only specialist clinic for dog phobia—The Cynophobia Clinic—supports patients in Sydney and remotely across the country .

Exposure therapy, endorsed by the American Psychological Association, involves gradual, controlled exposure to dogs while teaching coping strategies and dog behaviour to create a sense of control.

Rather than push for dog-free public spaces, Holmes and Huey are campaigning to amend Western Australia’s Dog Act.

Their aim is to require owners to move their dogs away from members of the public when asked, except for service dogs.

'If you can open the doors to let everyone take their dogs into a public place, like Bunnings, there needs to be a counterbalance to that,' Huey said.

'If I say could you please move your dog away from me, there needs to be a legal obligation that you actually do that.'

Their efforts face an uphill battle.

With millions affected by phobias worldwide, animal fears are common, yet businesses are unlikely to reverse policies that please the majority.

For those interested in how public spaces are adapting to dogs, there’s another story that highlights the tensions this can create.

It explores a real-life example of cafés navigating dog-friendly policies and the debates that arise when patrons have differing comfort levels.

Reading this piece can provide additional perspective on the challenges people face in dog-centric environments and what rules are being considered.

Read more: Café dog sparks heated debate over dining rules that every pet owner needs to know

What are your thoughts on balancing the rights of dog owners with the needs of people who have genuine phobias?