RV Parks With Pet Restrictions
01-02-2018
Author: in The Road Less Traveled
In 2013, we took the opportunity to spend a month in Arizona. We'd never been there before, but knew it reputedly beautiful and a "snowbird" destination. Although we weren't retirement age, we were definitely excited about escaping the frigid temperature of the Midwest.
This was our first experience with restricted campgrounds. Many of them posted "55+" signs, restricting younger campers. Nearly all had signs prohibiting "big or aggressive dogs." Neither of our dogs is aggressive and our 3-pound Yorkie would have been welcome, but our Lab weighed in at over 90-pounds. Since then, we've been faced with the issue again and again. What's the deal with the campground restrictions of our furry friends?
Community Restrictions
Over 900 cities—throughout every state in the U.S.—have ordinances prohibiting what they deem to be aggressive dogs. These are primarily focused on pit bulls, but occasionally include other breeds like Doberman pincers, German shepherds, and Rottweilers. In fact, less than half of the states currently prohibit the creation and enforcement of local laws that are breed-specific.
In these locations, the campgrounds are guaranteed to ban "large, dangerous, and aggressive breeds." If you have a dog, it's a good idea to check the area before traveling through to know what you're getting into. The website Dogs Bite allows you to look this up by state.
Why the Pet Restriction in Parks?
What about parks in cities or counties without restrictions? Why would they choose to prohibit certain dogs? Many people have biases against dogs that they suspect may be or become aggressive. This makes them naturally fearful of these breeds.
Plus, a dog's owner is also often biased. They believe their pooch to be the sweetest fun-loving creature, and will even say, "Don't worry, she would never hurt anybody" when she's barking in a manner that seems ferocious. This may or may not be true in every situation. For this reason, park owners take a shortcut and ban the breeds they think most likely to cause trouble.
What about big dogs that aren't really considered a dangerous breed? When we were near Webster, Florida we were having trouble finding a place for the night. We had called a few parks to inquire about vacancies and were told that many parks prohibit large dogs because they seem scary. Not only do they make some of the other campers nervous, but they also cause small dogs to feel insecure. This causes the little dogs to react in defensiveness and aggression, which may result in a problem. Apparently, more people travel with small pets, so it's easier to ban the large ones.
What Are Your Options?
It may seem difficult to find a park that accepts your fur-babies, but it isn't impossible. For example, sometimes a park will temporarily admit travelers with certain restricted breeds of dogs if there are mitigating circumstances. Sometimes, the whether or not the rules are enforced is left up to the individual park owner or manager. They may make decisions on a case by case basis.
Another option is to stay in one of the many state parks and campgrounds that do not have these restrictions. They're usually located outside of any city or town, and they almost always have the best views.
In Conclusion
The world is a big place and there's more than enough room for all of us. The RV park we're currently in is located in a city with a ban on Pit bulls. Our neighbor two sites over has a Pit bull and she's very sweet. Many people don't recognize the breed outside of propaganda. They are, after all just another breed of bull dog. Travel safe and make lots of friends, two-legged and four.
This was our first experience with restricted campgrounds. Many of them posted "55+" signs, restricting younger campers. Nearly all had signs prohibiting "big or aggressive dogs." Neither of our dogs is aggressive and our 3-pound Yorkie would have been welcome, but our Lab weighed in at over 90-pounds. Since then, we've been faced with the issue again and again. What's the deal with the campground restrictions of our furry friends?
Community Restrictions
Over 900 cities—throughout every state in the U.S.—have ordinances prohibiting what they deem to be aggressive dogs. These are primarily focused on pit bulls, but occasionally include other breeds like Doberman pincers, German shepherds, and Rottweilers. In fact, less than half of the states currently prohibit the creation and enforcement of local laws that are breed-specific.
In these locations, the campgrounds are guaranteed to ban "large, dangerous, and aggressive breeds." If you have a dog, it's a good idea to check the area before traveling through to know what you're getting into. The website Dogs Bite allows you to look this up by state.
Why the Pet Restriction in Parks?
What about parks in cities or counties without restrictions? Why would they choose to prohibit certain dogs? Many people have biases against dogs that they suspect may be or become aggressive. This makes them naturally fearful of these breeds.
Plus, a dog's owner is also often biased. They believe their pooch to be the sweetest fun-loving creature, and will even say, "Don't worry, she would never hurt anybody" when she's barking in a manner that seems ferocious. This may or may not be true in every situation. For this reason, park owners take a shortcut and ban the breeds they think most likely to cause trouble.
What about big dogs that aren't really considered a dangerous breed? When we were near Webster, Florida we were having trouble finding a place for the night. We had called a few parks to inquire about vacancies and were told that many parks prohibit large dogs because they seem scary. Not only do they make some of the other campers nervous, but they also cause small dogs to feel insecure. This causes the little dogs to react in defensiveness and aggression, which may result in a problem. Apparently, more people travel with small pets, so it's easier to ban the large ones.
What Are Your Options?
It may seem difficult to find a park that accepts your fur-babies, but it isn't impossible. For example, sometimes a park will temporarily admit travelers with certain restricted breeds of dogs if there are mitigating circumstances. Sometimes, the whether or not the rules are enforced is left up to the individual park owner or manager. They may make decisions on a case by case basis.
Another option is to stay in one of the many state parks and campgrounds that do not have these restrictions. They're usually located outside of any city or town, and they almost always have the best views.
In Conclusion
The world is a big place and there's more than enough room for all of us. The RV park we're currently in is located in a city with a ban on Pit bulls. Our neighbor two sites over has a Pit bull and she's very sweet. Many people don't recognize the breed outside of propaganda. They are, after all just another breed of bull dog. Travel safe and make lots of friends, two-legged and four.
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Author: Carrie Todd
