[MR] Dogs at events

[Scribe0002 at aol.com]

Good Ysolt opines: "Rabies certificate should be required for liability  
purposes. If a dog bites someone or another dog, proof of rabies vaccine is  
required."

I have to say that as an autocrat I fall into the personal  responsibility 
camp with Logan, Kari and Takada here. 
 
I understand the concern of those who've posted about vaccination  
requirements. But, as Takada said, if I add check rabies papers to my gate  keepers' 
check list, I assume all responsibility if one gets through with false  or out of 
date paperwork or with no paperwork at all. My gals sat gate all  evening 
Friday and most of Saturday at the last event. They checked in about 230  people, 
dealt with some short tempers and tight schedules and don't need another  
thing to do.
 
And, honestly, if a person is going to be irresponsible enough to bring an  
unvaccinated or unpleasant animal to an event, who says they're going to own up 
 to actually having it with them at gate? Do my people now have to inspect 
every  car, truck, trailer and RV that pulls in? Do I have to provide tokens for 
the  critters to prove they've been checked at gate? Do I have to staff an 
animal  services person to randomly check each dog, goat and ferret through the 
course  of the event? 
 
I'm truly not trying to be snarky here but these are the considerations I  
have to consider as an event steward. If I check rabies vaccinations it is  
offerring a false sense of security and an added liability that cannot be  
properly administrated.
 
Ysolt further wrote: "It would also be nice to grant hosting groups the  
authority (if they don't already have it) to ask people who bring nuisance  
animals to an event to leave with or remove their animals."
 
I already have this authority as the event steward/autocrat. I outrank  
everyone on site. Everyone. If someone causes trouble, creates a danger of any  
sort and will not cooperate, I ~will~ have them removed from site and, depending  
upon the nature of the offense, they will not be welcomed back to future  
events.
 
My event announcements include the fact that controlled animals are  welcome. 
This puts everyone on notice that animals will be present. The  expectation 
is that each animal owner will be responsible to take care of their  animal, 
guard the animal's safety and the safety of other animals and all  people. I've 
never had an issue that would lead me to expect otherwise in the  SCA. Not in 
Atlantia nor in the East.
 
~gise