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<DIV>My experience with dogs on the PCT and other trails, over 40+
years, has been more negative than positive. It is not one problem
dog or owner out of 50, it is more like one out of three. Last summer a
great short trip was just about ruined for my friends and I when a German
Shepherd invaded our camp and would not go away. The dog was after our
food, peed on our tent and gear, and jumped all over us. We spent an hour
yelling up and down the PCT trying to locate the owner. Finally the
owner appeared and was completely oblivious to our complaints. Dog owners
like this are unconscious that their wonderful pooch is something that everyone
should just love and accept like they do. </DIV>
<DIV>Please leave your dogs at home. If you must bring Fido, then obey the
leash laws and understand that you may be the only person on the trail who loves
your dog. And just because you think that doggie is having as good a time
hiking 2650 miles as you are, does not make it necessarily so. </DIV>
<DIV>Thank You!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>--Coyote Steve</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=gkesselr@whidbey.com href="mailto:gkesselr@whidbey.com">Greg
Kesselring</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=minnjohn1@aol.com
href="mailto:minnjohn1@aol.com">minnjohn1@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A title=pct-l@backcountry.net
href="mailto:pct-l@backcountry.net">pct-l@backcountry.net</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, February 25, 2008 7:32
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [pct-l] Hikers and their
dogs</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>I have had crazy drivers on the road almost kill me with their
erratic driving behavior. Therefore, I believe all drivers should stay
off the roads.<BR><BR>I have been in car campgrounds where climbers kept
everyone awake late into the night with their beer drinking and story
telling. Personally I wish all climbers should stay away from car
campgrounds.<BR><BR>I have seen bicycle riders disobey traffic laws while on
the road. Therefore, all bicycles should be banned from streets and
roads.<BR><BR>You get the idea. It's really too bad that a few
inconsiderate and irresponsible dog owners give dogs a bad name, and the
result is that people come to hate dogs and don't want to be around
them. But this is generalizing and stereotyping that's no
different than wanting to exclude all drivers from the road because some
drivers are irresponsible and reckless. If there's one bad dog
(bad owner, actually) out of 20 or 50 or 100, should the responsible dog
owners suffer because of that one bad owner? <BR><BR><BR><A
class=moz-txt-link-abbreviated
href="mailto:minnjohn1@aol.com">minnjohn1@aol.com</A> wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE cite=mid:8CA45812F8C6D48-127C-1035@WEBMAIL-MC07.sysops.aol.com
type="cite">I've been reading about the hikers planning to take their dogs
with them on the PCT. I just have to put in my $0.02 worth. Personnally, I
wish they would leave their dogs at home. I like dogs. I grew up with an
English Spaniel. He was a great friend to me. But, dogs are animals and I
think many owners forget that. I have had dogs rush into my camp to greet
me, run circles around my tent and pull up all my tent tie down lines in the
process. Twice I have stepped in dog crap and once didn't notice until I was
in my tent and settling down for the night. Several times I have had dogs
"come at" me snarling and with raised neck hair as they and their owners
were approaching me on the trail. Thank God they were on a leash. Of course,
they are devoted animals protecting their owners. Its not really their fault
- again they are just doing what animals do. So, I wish all you hikers who
are thinking about taking your "friend" and "protector" with you on your
hike would think about the o ther hikers with whom you share the trail.
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