DEAR ABBY: A friend of a friend was looking for a weekend getaway. I offered my summer home to the couple at no cost. I love the place and spend all my summers relaxing there. They quickly accepted.
I gave them the keys, they left for the weekend and she texted me to say they arrived. Two hours later, I received another text saying that they could not stay there because their allergies were really bad and they had to leave.
I felt bad, but they were well aware of my two large, hairy dogs. I'm not a dirty person. Quite a few people come and stay at the summer house, and no one has ever left before. How should I react when I see them again? I thought I was doing something nice. -- FEELING BAD IN PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR FEELING BAD: You were doing something nice, and you should not take what happened personally. Some people are extremely sensitive to animal dander, which is what likely caused your guests to leave. It was in no way a criticism of your skills as a housekeeper. While you may have been able to remove all or most of the dog hair, you may have missed flakes from their skin that were imbedded in the upholstered furniture and which triggered the allergic reaction. Let it go, and when you see these people, treat them as you always have.