Dog Gone....

[sshaw@pacbell.net]

Helmets or dogs? Well. this is both.

I am inspired by both Barbara McCrary and Tony Benedetti. Barbara
started me thinking about helmets long ago and Tony asked me at this
last ride why I only rode sometimes with one....

BUT, back to dogs. I confess that my "Bud" was off leash once this
weekend at Camp Far West and I couldn't find him. I finally tied him up
and this WILL be the last time you will ever see him out and about.

I have two promises to ridecamp 1) my dog will never be loose again (or
"seen" at a ride that says No Dogs) and I will always wear a helmet.

At CFW the ride manager's dog bit at girl, the vets had dogs loose and I
was also remiss in keeping track of my dog. I give up and now support
restrictions including my wearing of a helmet.

With 10 loose dogs at a recent ride that said "no dogs" and the
continuing abuses that occur at ride vet checks, I now support AERC
sanctioning parameters on dogs at rides. If AERC does not address this
issue then they .....

!) Dogs should be allowed at ride camps, but 2) restricted to their
immediate camp area, tied, and not allowed at ride meetings, pre-ride
checks, vet checks or where horses are ridden. 3) A dog walk area should
be designated and 4) A Best of Breed Dog Show should be required at each
ride.

AERC should collect a sanctioning fee of  $10.00 per dog at each ride
and award points for number of dogs/rides per year.

We need to take the same responsibility at rides for our dogs that we
take for cleaning up our camps after the rides (and endurance riders are
some of the most responsible campers there are...)

It takes peer pressure. No leash free dogs. No Dogs at ride meetings.
Say something, be part of the community.

Steve Shaw