2020 Official Maine Camping Guide - 92

SOCIAL AREA: FOR YOUR DOG!

Written By: Woodall's Campground Management &
Maine Campground Owners Association

As more families with pets hit the road, campground and
RV park owners are having to find ways to keep these
furry campers entertained. According to David Canning,
owner of Orlando, FL based DOGIPOT, a supplier of dog
park products for the past 25 years, more than 80 million
dogs are in the U.S., and 56 million households own a dog.
"Between the Baby Boomers, who are empty nesters and
want to travel everywhere with their dogs, and Millennials,
who are waiting longer to have kids and are also bringing
their dogs everywhere, not only has the number of
campers that own dogs steadily increased over the years,
but the interest in including them in our everyday lives
has also increased," Canning explained. "You have a lot of
people in those two generations that if they can't bring
their dog somewhere, they are not going to go."
According to a study done in 2012 by DogTime.com, Maine
is in the TOP FIVE most pet owning states at over 62%! An
article published by NewsCenterMaine.com states that
Maine, the Pine Tree State, ranked as #1 on the list of
Most Pet Friendly states in the US! The article continued
on to say that Maine has 76 dog-friendly beaches and
nearly 1,000 pet friendly hotels - we would say it is only
a matter of time before Maine Campgrounds with on-site
dog parks is added to the list!
Naturally, that has put pressure on campground and RV
park owners to include amenities that will attract pet
owners and entertain their furry friends. More specifically,
Bob Hansen, national account and marketing manager at
Eclectic, AL based Pet and Playground, said "the dog parks
themselves really add value to a campground, because a
camper with a dog can now feel comfortable stopping for
the night."
In addition to making traveling with your family best
friend easier, campgrounds with dog parks add an avenue
of outdoor recreation specifically for the dog. Other
dog related amenities that many Maine campgrounds

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are beginning to include are waste bag dispensers and
disposal containers, water bowls, and leash hooks.
Gary Max, vice president of Seattle, WA based Dog-On-ItParks, says "it gets families out exercising together and it
is another opportunity for them to spend time together at
your park, something they may rarely get a chance to do
at home." "Dog parks have really begun to turn into social
areas," he explained. "People are bringing their dogs to
the dog parks, and really getting to know each other, and
it's not just for exercising your dog."
"Dogs have a lot of energy and if they have been
travelling, they need to burn that energy off," Canning
said. "Having an area where they can do that will help
cut down on the barking and some of the other issues
park owners have with pets at their parks. Part of it is
definitely pet owners taking responsibility for their pets,
but at the same time park owners can help by providing
these dog friendly spaces." The response from campers
regarding dog parks at Maine campgrounds and RV parks
has been overwhelmingly positive and we can't wait for
the epidemic to further grow!

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MAINE CAMPGROUND OWNERS ASSOCIATION * CAMPMAINE.COM
http://www.DogTime.com http://www.NewsCenterMaine.com http://www.CAMPMAINE.COM
2020 Official Maine Camping Guide

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2020 Official Maine Camping Guide
