When my roommate told me she was getting a dog, I was a little nervous.

I love dogs and I have my own that lives at home with my parents.

However, our apartment is only 800 square feet and it’s mostly carpet. I didn’t love the idea of a puppy chewing and getting into everything, and it would be difficult to potty train when we lived on the second floor. My roommate was desperate for a dog though, so I told her it was okay as long as she knew that I wouldn’t be helping with the responsibility load. After the puppy had been living in our apartment for a week, my allergies began to flare up. I knew I wasn’t allergic to dogs, but there was something causing me to sneeze, have watery eyes, and itchy skin. Instead of going to the doctor, I researched why this could be happening. According to the internet, allergies were worsened with a puppy when living in a small space with poor HVAC maintenance and carpet. I had no control over replacing the air filter since I lived in an apartment, but the internet said that a lot of the pet hair and dander was probably getting stuck in the air filter. I also couldn’t replace the carpet. The next best thing I could do was purchase a small air purifier. I kept it in my bedroom while I slept and moved it into the living room during the day. The air purifier immediately relieved my allergy symptoms, but it still wasn’t perfect. I’m going to put in a request to have the air filter replaced.

Heating and air conditioning system