I have a years worth of general speedups and I want to fast track the last 2 T5's.

edit - I meant T5 technology. Not making troops. Sorry.

Being afraid of dogs isn’t an irrational fear

1. dogs that are off-leash in public or are so strong that their owners struggle to control them can become dangerous very quickly. every year there are numerous cases of dogs attacking other dogs, livestock, wildlife and people. even if these incidents are uncommon, they happen often enough that people have good reason to be scared
2. many owners say, “don’t worry, she’s friendly,” but that doesn’t solve the problem. if a dog runs up to someone, jumps on them, barks in their face or playfully nips at them, the person being approached has no way of knowing the dog’s intentions. people shouldn’t have to trust a stranger’s judgment about their pet. people have every right to expect personal space in public without being touched or chased by someone else’s animal
3. fear becomes irrational only when it has no reasonable basis. dog bites are well documented. in the United States, around 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year and roughly 800,000 require medical treatment (statistics taken from wikipedia). dog bites can cause severe injuries, permanent scarring, psychological trauma and can transmit diseases such as rabies in regions where it is present. i’m not saying that every dog is dangerous, but these numbers show that the possibility of harm is real
4. not everyone likes dogs and not everyone feels safe around them. some people have allergies, past traumatic experiences or phobias. for that reason, businesses such as restaurants and shops should generally remain pet-free (with exceptions for legitimate service dogs that perform essential tasks for people with disabilities). public spaces should be welcoming to everyone, not just pet owners
5. dogs are living animals, not lifeless machines. they can react unexpectedly when frightened, startled, injured or overstimulated. some dogs are intentionally trained to guard homes or attack intruders. and while that may serve a security purpose, it also demonstrates that dogs are capable of causing serious harm under certain circumstances. if such a dog escapes or is mishandled, the consequences can be severe

i’m sick of being mocked and not taken seriously when i say i’m scared of dogs. obviously people can take them on walks and such, but please keep them leashed and don’t let them interact with people that don’t want it. i don’t want your dog jumping on me and sniffing me while you let it happen, just because “she’s friendly, she doesn’t bite, her bites don’t hurt she’s just playing around”

TL;DR: being afraid of dogs isn’t irrational because the risk is real. dog attacks and bites happen every year and irresponsible owners who don’t leash or control their dogs make that risk worse. not everyone is comfortable around dogs and people deserve to have their boundaries respected.