Woodsmoke Campground Pet Policy

Kaz wrote:

I've never heard of such a thing before, and it seems unbelievably weird. Has anyone ever heard of anything like this anywhere else?

Why weird? That it is necessary or that it can be done. Companies record DNA on mountain lions, bears and game animals. The US FWS selects elk to be culled during a winter hunt based on their DNA, and moves buffalo from one herd to another based on DNA. Using DNA typing for the dog is a next logical step. I suspect that within five years, there will be a nation wide company so you can have your dog DNA typed at one park, and that will be good to ID the dog at other parks.

Kaz wrote:

I guess I understand what the campground is driving at, but I've never been anywhere in over 40 years of RV'ing where the dog poo problem is so bad that it would call for extreme measures.

I see several parks a year. What is 'so bad' to you? To me - if I see two different dog poops on one of my morning walks - the park is too bad to return to. I make sure the management knows why we will never be back. In my opinion, 15-20% of RV dog owners try to avoid cleaning up after their pets. And it is a growing issue even over the last two or three years.

Kaz wrote:

If the Woodsmoke clientèle is so slovenly that the campground has to resort to DNA profiling to solve the problem, I bet dog poo is only one reason I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to stay there.

Looking at on-line photos and reviews, it look like the park has several park models, and long-time residents. Those people are usually the most likely to feel 'entitled' to the park, and entitled to ignore rules, like those for picking up after pets. Or the other end of the scale might apply. Those semi-permanent residents might be flooding the management with complaints every day about dog poop.

Kaz wrote:

It seems like less intrusive options exist. Like maybe signing a form that says, "On my honor, I will pick up after my dog..." If someone is so dishonorable that he'd violate that covenant, I'd worry more about getting my stuff stolen than stepping in dog poo.

Likely less intrusive options have been tried, and failed.

Kaz wrote:

It also seems like if one leaves without having dog poo seized by the Doggie-DNA forces, one ought to get a refund of the DNA profiling fee.

The campground is already absorbing half of the cost of DNA typing your dog. Why should they refund you the other half?

Also the testing likely isn't done in a day. Probably takes a week to get the results back. Many of the 'offenders' will have moved on.

No, the CG likely won't get the fine money from them unless they charge their card. Even then the charge could be contested.

But it will likely deter the person from ever returning.

No, we don't travel with a pet. We did travel with a cat at one time, but he passed away. We have many great friends who travel with pets. A few of those just pick up the poop if it is easily visible. They don't think leaving poop near trees, in grassy areas, flower beds, etc is a problem.

And the number of RVers we see with that attitude seems to be growing in our opinion.