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The ABCs of camping with pets By Chuck Woodbury, editor Most American campgrounds welcome pets. Most often there is no additional charge beyond the regular campsite fee, but many commercial RV parks charge an extra dollar or two a night per pet. While there are few formal rules about camping with pets, most campgrounds do require that pets remain on a leash or be otherwise contained. Many campers bring along a portable pet fence that can be easily opened up at a campsite to allow a pet some freedom and fresh air without being leashed. Camping World sells these. Most RV parks that allow pets set aside a plot of ground or grass for use as a "pet potty." RVers are asked to clean up after their pets. Most roadside rest areas also provide such pet areas, which most often double as an off-leash area where a pet can run and sniff to its heart's content. Pets are common traveling companions, especially for RVers. Perhaps a third of them bring along a pet or two, most often a dog, but also cats and even caged birds. We have seen a few bunnies, including one being walked on a leash at an Idaho rest area. The biggest complaint from campers without pets about those with them is about uncontrolled dog barking. Some owners leave their campsites to sightsee, hike, fish or shop, and leave their dogs alone inside their RV or tied up outside for hours on end. Fellow campers are often forced to endure barking and howling until the owners return, a terribly frustrating and even maddening experience for those who must endure the noise. Pet owners should also use caution in leaving their pets outside overnight. Rangers at Death Valley National Park keep a tally of such animals that end up as a tasty midnight snack for a hungry coyote. Besides editing Beginners Guide to RVing, Chuck Woodbury is also the editor of RV Travel, a free email newsletter about RV travel in the USA and Canada. Books about RVing Free Campgrounds of the West RVers Friend, 2003 edition Support Your RV Lifestyle: An Insider's Guide to Working On the Road Rest Areas and Welcome Centers Along U.S. Interstates The ABCs of RVing The RV Buyers Survival Guide Your Home on Wheels How to get a job working in a National Park How to Live Full Time in a RV Copyright 2003 by Out West Newspaper |