Filed under: Smugglers' Notch Dog Friendly Initiative
Filed under: Smugglers' Notch Dog Friendly Initiative | Tags: Burlington Dog Park, Burlington Vermont, Dog Friendly, Hiking with dogs, Iphone, Pet Travel, Smugglers Notch Family Resort, Smugglers' Notch Ski Resort, vacation, Vermont
The ideas as to what we could do in regards to making Smugglers Notch a dog friendly environment are still in a young stage. But here are a few things I was thinking about.
1. Let’s find out if there are any condo areas that are being under used, perhaps all the weeks aren’t own, and or under rented. From that lets designate any of these that are under used for rentals with people with dogs. We could put them into a category for renting with pets, so people know that these certain condos allow pets, and if they wish not to use a condo that pets are allowed to stay in, then the have the option of taking up another condo in the Smugglers Notch Resort.
2. Any condos that have yet to be built and sold, lets designate a few of these new buildings to dog owners. If the condos are already sold even prior to building, lets look into building another condo area or two around the property, and sell them to people who know that these will be used to allow pets in the condos.
3. There is are a few condos out side the resort, on the VT 108, on the same side of the resort. Perhaps offer a buy out of this building and tack it up just a bit to allow it to become the rental area that dog owners and go with their pets. Build a bridge that would cross of the bridge and lead to the horse trail that would lead them into the resort. This would be a fantastic spot sense it’s out side of the main resort area, and away from the large density of the resort’s center.
4. All of the above, or at least 2 and 3 as I feel if you start allowing dogs, and it is publicly known, there should be more than one area. At least 2 building areas as during the peak times they will probably fill up fast.
These are my 3 ideas for now. Any condo that would be designated to allowing pets should be suited for pet use. Such as no carpets, they only stain and suck in pet dandruff and fur. Hard wood floors, vinyl floors that look like hardwood, or tile would due just fine. Couches, and other furniture shouldn’t be too upscale, and should be of tough fabric.
The condos should be big enough to set up a crate for a dog 100 + lbs, since not all dogs are toy breed. The condo could either provide a crate, or the owner would have to rent a crate such as renting skis. Of course it shouldn’t be anarchy, if the owner is to leave the pet in the condo by it’s self the pet needs to be in a crate.
If a condo area is built, an ideal addition to the condo instead of a play ground area, or a tennis court would be a small fenced in dog run/dog park for those staying at the facility. Allowing the dog to be off leash, and not forcing the owner to use the tennis courts for this purpose. The dog park would have to contain trash areas/clean up stations and a fence and a double gate, please refer to the Burlington Dog Park Association for what all in entails a dog park.
Of course if a dog owner was to rent at the facility, they should be required to prove to the resort that their pet is up to date on all vaccinations.
Finally, if a dog friendly area is established, Smugglers Notch could provide hiking tour guides for dog owners and their pets. With the fee that Smugglers would obtain for the service and to the facilities. Also a doggy day care could be established which would provide more funds. The doggy day care would be used probably by owners who wish to take a day trip up to Montreal, and wish not to bring their pet due to the possibility of riding the subway system.
I encourage the authorities to look at all these possibilities and to take them seriously. In the mean time I will work on putting together a petition to prove that this is wanted by a large number of visitors, and possible future visitors.
Below is a satellite image from Google Maps, it shows Smugglers Notch, I circled a few areas for possible new construction of condo area that would be dog friendly. The area closest to VT 108 is the non-Smugglers Notch owned condos that I mentioned above.
Till next time, blogya later!
Filed under: Smugglers' Notch Dog Friendly Initiative | Tags: Burlington, Dog Friendly, Jeffersonville, RCI, Smugglers Notch Family Resort, Smugglers' Notch Ski Resort, Timeshares, vacation, Vermont
Ever since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, the issue of people not leaving because they didn’t want to leave their pets has grown into a movement of people who are tired of the private industry tell us “no” to our beloved 4 legged friends.
Even before Katrina hit, the movement of people who wanted to take their pet with them was growing, Katrina only gave it more fuel due to the national media coverage of the problem.
My mind set has always been, if my pets cant go, then I don’t either, with that, they don’t get my money, another renter does.
It’s the dawn of a new era, an era where people who are renting wont take no for an answer, they find alternatives, and go else where. Some businesses have taken advantage of this growing demand, allowing pets in hotel rooms as long as they are crated, which to me is 100x better then leaving them at some kennel a mile or so away.
It’s time to convince Smugglers’ Notch to take the steps they need to take to allow pets in condos. They claim they are a family resort, but with not-allowing pets they are proving not to be, since pets in this day of age are not of property, but of family.
There are a few ways of getting this done without causing too much fuss, I’ll present such ideas in coming blogs. While nay-sayers may prove to be heavy weights to preventing this from happening, it’s time for us pet lovers to come back at the nay-sayers that have been unreasonably victimizing us pet lovers from the beginning.
If this initiative is to succeed I need the supporters of the concept to show it by commenting, by signing the petition that I’ll soon have up.
Thank you for reading the blog, stop by often,
Patrick
Filed under: Smugglers' Notch Dog Friendly Initiative | Tags: Burlington, canine, canines, dog, Dog Friendly, Dogs, Jeffersonville, kennels, petition, Smugglers Notch Family Resort, Smugglers' Notch Ski Resort, Timeshares, vacation, Vermont
So here I sit at my desk, on my laptop. 4:58PM on a Saturday afternoon. The idea of blogging about the concept for Smuggler’s Notch to become more dog friendly came about after a few other blogs of mine regarding issues in my local area became fairly successful in helping create a movement to demand such resolutions. I figure I’d try blogging activism for this issue as well. It may or may not work. If it does well it’ll be some time till it does, if it doesn’t well, it never hurts to try is my philosophy in life. As with my local dog park efforts I was first told I could never get one in the town that I live in, however it seems the blog I created set the fire of a movement that I shaking and breaking the dream of a dog park into a reality. It is yet to be in the ’said and done’ with section, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done, and I understand that.
So why take on this issue while I’m taking on a local issue? I simply like to blog, I like to find topics that I find are important but get little attention and I try my best bring them to life at the family dinner table in the house holds of the areas that its nearest to.
The dog friendly issue is not more of trying to get Smugglers Notch to allow dogs on the property, as they are allowed on the property, its more so the fact that they are not allowed in time shares. Unless you own the condo year round, and in that case you can bring your pet, but you can not rent to people with pets, or at least those who want to bring their pets.
I remember a few years ago, I inquired about this, I tried renting from a condo owner, who turned down the request and told me that I could still rent from him and I could either leave the dogs at home, or let them stay at a local kennel. I laughed in his face and told him I’d rent out side the resort, and bring my pets with me, and still enjoy the amenities, since a few friends were already renting a spot there that week, I was a guest of theirs and we still had the right to enjoy such amenities as the pools what not.
I’ve been renting outside the resort for some time now, actually the place I rented from that week is the same place I’ve been renting from for a few years. It’s great to have it around, and not to have to worry about such things as kennels which are disease traps, and really defeats the purpose of traveling with your pet.
After interacting with the condo owner, I decided to post something about pets in the resort, I was given the response that the resort is looking into pet friendly condos in some sections. “Looking into” and doing are 2 different things. It’s time to show them that there is a demand, and even the demand to making every timeshare/condo at Smugglers Notch pet friendly, and that the problems often feared are minimum and rare, and that other resorts around the world do just the same and have very little to no problems.
This blog is met to show the officials of the resort that there is a demand, and to change their mind set to become dog friendly. In the coming weeks I plan on setting up an online petition for people to sign to show their supports as I also plan on reaching out to dog friendly associations and organizations across the nation. Let’s get this started, let’s get the ball moving…
Stop by often,
Patrick
