Obviously, we’re dog owners, so why would I rant about dog owners, you might ask? Here’s why:

This morning when I took our Shadow out for a walk, what did I find at the base of her ramp (Shadow has a ramp to help her get up into our rig. It’s a big jump for a little dog, especially a 14-year old one!) in front of our camper door? A nice little present from someone else’s dog. I was ticked off about this, but picked it up myself. It wasn’t the first time I have done this when someone did not pick up after their pet at a campground or someplace we were visiting or staying, so I didn’t think much more about it.

However, this afternoon when I took Shadow out for a walk, she didn’t want to go down her ramp. Once I managed to coax her down, I saw why – someone let their dog pee all over the bottom of it and still-wet urine was covering the bottom and the surrounding area. No wonder Shadow didn’t want to go down her ramp! It had been marked by another dog. Now that’s too much for me. The audacity of anyone to just stand there while letting their dog pee all over someone else’s property. The dogs around here aren’t running loose. Their owners have to walk them on a leash. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice your dog doing this. At least make an effort to clean it up!

ALL pet owners should clean up after their pets. That’s a given. However, we all know it doesn’t always happen. This is why pet owners are given so much grief and our dogs aren’t allowed at so many places. Over and over I read rants in RV magazines complaining about people not picking up after their pets at campgrounds. Too often we’ve personally been given grief by people at RV parks and National Parks, etc. anticipating that we’re not going to pick up after our pet and reading us the riot act and not giving us the benefit of the doubt that we’re the conscientious pet owner. Even though we’ve always picked up after our dog, no matter where we are when she needs to do her business, they don’t know that. It’s the ten percent of dog owners that aren’t so conscientious that makes life hard for the rest of us. They’re why more and more campgrounds don’t allow dogs, or charge an extra fee to have them. They’re why dogs aren’t allowed in so many places and on so many trails where it’s only natural to take a pet. That ten percent is who gives the rest of us a bad name, and frankly, pisses me off.

I just didn’t expect one of those ten per-centers at a Rally. Don’t ask me why, but with so many long-time, full-time, and experienced RVers attending, I just expected better.

Rant over

until next time

and sadly, I know there will be a next time.