Coaster and Dog Lovers Unite
Yes it must be the time of year. Like everyone here my wife and I love the coasters and the parks. There is a problem we have discovered that does greatly disturb us and we were wondering if anyone else has these concerns.
Most of the Six Flags, Paramount, and privately owned parks have an area where you can kennel your dog or in our case dogs for the day. Considering the distance people travel and in our case our willingness to use camping facilities we have found the Cedar Fair parks sorly lacking in services for our dogs. We aren't looking for free kennel services we pay for them at the other parks. At present we would love to visit Cedar Point but due to lack of concern for the traveling customer's pets we have decided the perhaps a boycot or other action by coaster enthusiests might be in order. It is not a large thing but, it does stop people from attending.
Most of the Six Flags, Paramount, and privately owned parks have an area where you can kennel your dog or in our case dogs for the day. Considering the distance people travel and in our case our willingness to use camping facilities we have found the Cedar Fair parks sorly lacking in services for our dogs. We aren't looking for free kennel services we pay for them at the other parks. At present we would love to visit Cedar Point but due to lack of concern for the traveling customer's pets we have decided the perhaps a boycot or other action by coaster enthusiests might be in order. It is not a large thing but, it does stop people from attending.
Just called Cedar Point we will be going when they added the new campground they added a kennel as well.
Well, as an owner of 2 Australian Shepherds, I feel your pain in having to go the extra mile of accomodating your furry friends while vacationing. But to boycott Cedar Point over this issue is silly. Certainly you must at least have friends or family that you can leave the dog with if you plan on spending a few days at CP. They do have a pet check near the marina, but they do not let them stay overnight.
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Neil
Pittsburgh, PA
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Neil
Pittsburgh, PA
I apologize boycott is too strong a word. How about starting a letter/e-mail campaign on the subject?
Short list of parks will have longer ones later
Dorney Park, Dollywood, waiting on answer from Kennywood.
Short list of parks will have longer ones later
Dorney Park, Dollywood, waiting on answer from Kennywood.
Distance and time are big expenses to me, and leaving my dog in my house for over 24 hours is not something I'm going to do, especially living in a town where I know three people (who can't take care of her). She goes, end of disscussion. I've asked about kennels before, and nobody seriously had anything to say, you know the kids were saying you can't take your dog to the park and all that kind of unthought out stuff. If there is a bad kennel or if anyone ever has had a bad experience with a kennel, I would like to know, because if my dog sits out in the sun all day, or I come to see her and she has no shade, I'm walking straight out of that place. It's not silly to skip parks, or boycott them. My dog is part of our family, and I'm not making her uncomfortable because I have to ride a ride or go to the coolest park.......
We haven't found bad kennels at the parks that have them. Kings Island is run by IAMS corp. and is very good. Hershey Park's kennel is one of the best I have seen. Six Flags GADV has a good kennel as well.
I agree with you in that there isn't a choice in taking the dogs with us. Our kids have long since grown and left home. We won't leave them home when traveling and have found that there are many places that accept family pets.
We don't patronize parks that don't have facilities for the dogs as they are our primary concern now.
Most of the kennels provide water and shade. We have had to on more than one occasion take a break (not a problem) and fed the dogs the people at the kennel area didn't have a problem with that. We do know that you need to provide proof of vacination and if you are going to kennel the dog make sure that they have the kennel cough vacination as well. We always check the kennels at the parks we go to before we leave the dogs (if they aren't up to our standard we don't go} and we also take breaks during the day to check on them as well. We have found the dogs very happy as usually the kennel attendant doesn't have much to do and they spend their day playing with the dogs.
I agree with you in that there isn't a choice in taking the dogs with us. Our kids have long since grown and left home. We won't leave them home when traveling and have found that there are many places that accept family pets.
We don't patronize parks that don't have facilities for the dogs as they are our primary concern now.
Most of the kennels provide water and shade. We have had to on more than one occasion take a break (not a problem) and fed the dogs the people at the kennel area didn't have a problem with that. We do know that you need to provide proof of vacination and if you are going to kennel the dog make sure that they have the kennel cough vacination as well. We always check the kennels at the parks we go to before we leave the dogs (if they aren't up to our standard we don't go} and we also take breaks during the day to check on them as well. We have found the dogs very happy as usually the kennel attendant doesn't have much to do and they spend their day playing with the dogs.
I don't know about Kennywood and kennels... First off, it's really a one-day park. Second, the vast majority of guests that go to Kennywood live in the Pittsburgh area and just return home to see their pets at the end of the day. It's not really a hot vacation spot, such as Cedar Point or another park/resort combo, so the situation is a little different.
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Matt Lynch
Co-Webmaster, Kennywood Boulevard
http://kennywood.coasterbuzz.com
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Matt Lynch
Co-Webmaster, Kennywood Boulevard
http://kennywood.coasterbuzz.com
Good info, zeusagis. Did you get offered to participate in the survey from IAMS? I am to an understanding with one person I've talked to (not park related) that if you do the survey at a kennel managed by IAMS that your dog gets to stay the day free. Good way to make sure park kennels keep up high standards, wouldn't you say?
Lynch, people who take the dogs stay at hotels and campgrounds (previously mentioned) that allow the pets. Unless a park is to be open all night, it would be pointless to run the kennels overnight. Besides, our dog pretty much will be going to the park to have fun just like us. Only her enjoyment will come from other dogs and strange people she gets to meet while waiting for us :). As far as the Cedar Point thing.......
Lynch, people who take the dogs stay at hotels and campgrounds (previously mentioned) that allow the pets. Unless a park is to be open all night, it would be pointless to run the kennels overnight. Besides, our dog pretty much will be going to the park to have fun just like us. Only her enjoyment will come from other dogs and strange people she gets to meet while waiting for us :). As far as the Cedar Point thing.......
Cedar Point has operated Pet Chek for as long as I can remember (and it looks like a Snoopy dog house now). It is staffed by the same people who care for the animals in the pet farm on the Frontier Trail. We've had members of Guide to The Point compliment them on their service, and one of the members actually worked there.
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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
Lynch,
I fail to see how Kennywood is any different. I know from living at the "Jersey Shore" that we wish the tourists would go home and leave us alone. The unfortunate truth to that is we can't afford to have them go away. Torurism is big business anywhere. There are many fine camping facilities in your area. Most allow dogs the ones that don't aren't worth staying at anyway. My point is in the amusement park industry can't afford to loose visitors for any reason. In our case and in the case of the people we travel with
no kennel = no visit = no dollars and no recomendation in the future.
I fail to see how Kennywood is any different. I know from living at the "Jersey Shore" that we wish the tourists would go home and leave us alone. The unfortunate truth to that is we can't afford to have them go away. Torurism is big business anywhere. There are many fine camping facilities in your area. Most allow dogs the ones that don't aren't worth staying at anyway. My point is in the amusement park industry can't afford to loose visitors for any reason. In our case and in the case of the people we travel with
no kennel = no visit = no dollars and no recomendation in the future.
p_c_r said:
"Good info, zeusagis. Did you get offered to participate in the survey from IAMS? I am to an understanding with one person I've talked to (not park related) that if you do the survey at a kennel managed by IAMS that your dog gets to stay the day free. Good way to make sure park kennels keep up high standards, wouldn't you say?
Lynch, people who take the dogs stay at hotels and campgrounds (previously mentioned) that allow the pets. Unless a park is to be open all night, it would be pointless to run the kennels overnight. Besides, our dog pretty much will be going to the park to have fun just like us. Only her enjoyment will come from other dogs and strange people she gets to meet while waiting for us :). As far as the Cedar Point thing......."
We didn't get the offer from IAMS at the park but I am going to e-mail them. With five travel comanions they will problably offer us something.
Too bad they don't offer this service to all the parks I found their facility to be quite satisfactory.
All night facilities aren't required for the parks as when the parks close we pick up the dogs and go back to our camsite/hotel for the night anyway.
Jeff said:
"Cedar Point has operated Pet Chek for as long as I can remember (and it looks like a Snoopy dog house now). It is staffed by the same people who care for the animals in the pet farm on the Frontier Trail. We've had members of Guide to The Point compliment them on their service, and one of the members actually worked there.
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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com"
Jeff,
Will look forward to using it this summer. I was wrong about Cedar point but, so far don't seem too far off on the other parks.
Thanks
Bob
Jeff's big on ROI. In my opinion, Kennywood wouldn't have great ROI from installing a kennel service. That's all I'm saying.
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Matt Lynch
Co-Webmaster, Kennywood Boulevard
http://kennywood.coasterbuzz.com
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Matt Lynch
Co-Webmaster, Kennywood Boulevard
http://kennywood.coasterbuzz.com
It's not even about ROI, it's about serving the needs of a market. A park like Cedar Point or PKI can serve a need with a kennel because they're multi-day destinations. A park like Kennywood, a one-day attraction, bringing in mostly locals (enthusiasts don't count), doesn't have the need.
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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
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