I think Prudy has totally missed the boat on this issue. One aspect of the situation she omitted is many pet are considered by their owners to be a functional pat of the family. An example: Does the pastor also feel offended when he does visit a family with an unruly child? Surely that scenario must have occurred during one of his visits to parishioners. I am sure he smiled and took in all in as he does with pets.

My response? Get over it. The pets have more of a right to be in the house than the pastor, and if/when he visits try to remember HE is the visitor, and if he doesn't like it, buzz off. My animals are well trained and behaved, but they do enjoy attention from strangers, and if my visitors don't like the attention, they are free to not visit in the future. My house - my rules.

"...functional parts of the family.." don't lay in a guest's lap and drool on them and ruin their clothes. They don't lick them or paw at them against their will while other members of the family look on. It is you not Prudie that is missing the boat. While I understand that people have a deep love for their pets, allowing abuse of a guest makes you a bad host. But when a guest's comfort is your way or "buzz off" I suspect you might be anyway.