Cathedral in Santiago

[sarawithdog]

Sara and Annie are going to be walking part of the Camino de Santiago and are wondering if Annie 'the pilgrim dog' will be welcome in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela?

 

[scruffy1]

As you walk in there is a sign saying no backpacks no flash and probably dogs but I can't remember. I send you a consolation prize, pet-friendly hotels in SdC
https://www.booking.com/pets/city/es/santiago-de-compostela.en-gb.html

 

[Deleted member 3000]

if Annie be welcome in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela?

I don't think so. There was a blog a few years about by a woman with a dog, and she was quite put out when her dog was not permitted in the cathedral.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Sara and Annie are going to be walking part of the Camino de Santiago and are wondering if Annie 'the pilgrim dog' will be welcome in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela?

Welcome to the forum @sarawithdog
Is Annie a service dog? (eg are you classed as needing a 'seeing dog'?) or is Annie a companion but not a certified need?
This might make a difference to the answers and how she is accepted in many places, not just the Cathedral. I do not know their policy about service/assistance dogs but others might if that is what you need to know.
Buen Camino

 

[Deleted member 3000]

From Kaybee a few year ago (grainne is her dog, a boxer):

we busted to get to the cathedral for the 12 o clock pilgrims mass in santiago, as a suitable ending.... on arrival at the side entrance, right before 12, i marched right through the door with grainne, entered the cathedral, and plunked down my backpack, my stick next to me, and me, right inside the door on the top of the steps, with grainne curling up and sleeping in my lap. now i know well that in spain they think dogs are outside animals but darn it we just walked from pamplona, and i felt like we were ENTITLED to sit in the cathedral for an hour while they said mass (never mind that i didnt understand a word of it as it was in spanish, hahahaha), and i was NOT abandoning my dog to sit outside and bark and be miserable and possibly get stolen after she had just trudged 3 or 400 miles as well. as far as i was concerned, we both had as much or more right to be in that cathedral as anyone else. plus there was noone to stop us and no sign saying no dogs. i got a lot of looks from people as we sat there but i was partly amused, partly aware i was callign attention to myself and partly didnt care cuz we had just walked a billion miles and we were entitled to be there. she was silent and curled up in my lap. i was enjoying not having to be anywhere do anythign and jsut being able to sit there. maybe we shoudl have gone somewhere less obvious but i was afraid to go much further than jsut inside the door, i figured i was being as "respectful" of their rules as possible by staying just inside the door. anyway, my peace and quiet only lasted about 1o minutes until we got kicked out by a security guard.....to whom i insisted we had just walked from pamplona we required to go to mass etc etc et c in my awful spanish. he made us leave.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

Just as a little fly on the wall here, that fly has seen a few things that, if seen through new eyes, may bring a better understanding to all involved.

1) The thread originator has stated that there is interest, a desire to bring a dog into the cathedral and is asking for information to know what is accepted.
2) Some contributors advise that it is not.
3) Another tells of her personal perspective.

Perhaps something that needs to be offered is regarding a point of respect. As we travel to different countries, we experience different customs and ways of doing things, different foods, clothes, belief systems.

When walking the Camino, for most of us, we are in a different country, guests of that country. In fact, we are also a guest of the Roman Catholic Church, while on the Camino. It is the Church that created it. They are our Host. Should we not act appropriately, and if there is something that we wsh to do, for ourselves, that goes against the local custom, perhaps ask permission before doing it?

Personally, I am not a dog owner, at the moment, but love all dogs. In my Church, dogs are welcome, but our society, where I live, is much different from the Camino, definitely a different Country. But dog owners have always asked permission to bring their dog into pur church.

The act of asking is a simple courtesy to the Host.