Va State Parks & Dog fees
A while back we had a thread going with the pro's and con's of the Va State Park Dog fee's ($5 per night, per dog-max 3 nights) there were a lot of thoughts of better ways to offset the "cost" of pet'...
Forum Discussion
dahkota wrote:Oaklevel wrote:
Our close state park does not have enough campsites to do that..... I really do not understand the big deal that is being putting on pet charges or why they are there in the first place the deer, bears , raccoons, possums etc. still do there thing in the campsites......The Rangers don't pick up after them LOL........ I do see the charges for the Cabins or not allowing them all together in the cabins.... I do realize the there are pet owners that do not pick up after their pets & should..... I can see a one time fee though.......
It isn't just the poop. It is also the number of dogs not on leashes, the number of dogs constantly barking, the lack of owner respect for other campers.
In one recent three day weekend:
A dog left to bark in a rig for more than two hours non-stop,
A dog chained to a tree with a thirty foot lead that lunged and barked at everyone (and cars) that passed,
Three different dogs unleashed, racing after something/someone past our site,
No less than four dogs (could have been more) pooping right in or next to our site where only two owners scooped their poop.
I am a dog owner. I have no problem with the fees. It seems though, that the stated goal of reducing the number of dogs in VA state parks by use of fees isn't working, nor are the owners acting more responsible.
There are dogs at MD and PA state parks but there are a lot less of them and they are confined to certain areas. This seems to work much much better than the free for all with fees that VA has been trying.
And where in the things you listed that a $5 fee offset the costs of one of those?
Is $5 gonna make some one pick up their dog poop or say screw it, I've paid for it? I'm being silly, but you know there are going to be those who will say that.
I do agree that there are people who don't control their dogs or what they do. Just as parents aren't controlling what their kids do. So many parents do not watch after their kids and let them just run loose in the campgrounds. Screaming. Cutting through campsites. Not watching where they are going with bikes. Parents yelling at them. Or even better giving you a dirty look when driving your vehicle through the campground to leave or come in, while their kids are playing in the road.
Yes I have a dog and yes I have a kid.
