UF Survey About Camping With Pets Could Affect Policy And Tourism

April 22, 1996

GAINESVILLE—Florida’s state park campgrounds don’t leave the light on for pets, but a UF survey may help officials decide if these unique members of the family should become overnight guests at campsites across the state.

Florida is the only southern state, and one of seven in the nation, that doesn’t allow people to keep pets overnight in state campgrounds, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Liability, impact on wildlife, health and sanitation issues and disturbance factors are some of the reasons for restricting all fur-bearing pets, according to state policy.

After receiving letters complaining about the pet restriction, the Florida Legislature requested the department conduct a survey to find out what needed to be done to better serve the needs of the visitors, said Steve Holland, UF associate professor of recreation, parks and tourism.

The department contracted through UF with professors Holland, Andy Holdnak and Tony Fedler to conduct the survey.

They started the project in January and targeted about 600 campers in six regions of Florida. “Our main focus was to find out how people felt about letting pets into campgrounds, but we were also interested in finding out why people go to campgrounds,” Holdnak said.

The group is now preparing the information for presentation to the department, and early results don’t favor a policy change, Holland said.

“Of the 619 people we surveyed, the vote is almost split, with a slight majority wanting the policy to stay the same,” he said. “About 40 percent of the people surveyed believed that pets had no effect on their camping experience.”

Holland, Holdnak, Fedler and three graduate students collected information at following state parks: St. Andrews in Panama City, Anastasia in St. Augustine, Wekiwa in Apopka, Oscar Scherer in Osprey, Jonathan Dickinson in Hobe Sound and Bahia Honda in Big Pine Key.

During each trip, Holdnak said, the team also conducted surveys at private campgrounds in the same area. About 100 surveys were taken in each region .

“We began surveying the public in state parks through in-house surveys during the late ’70s, early ’80s,” said John Baust, an official with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. “Through constituent suggestions, we included private campgrounds for the first time in the latest survey.

“Because the survey included private campgrounds, we couldn’t use park service employees, so for the first time we had to hire an outside source to gather the information,” Baust said.

There are many factors to consider from both sides of this issue, the researchers said.

“Some people feel conducting a survey to find out if pets should be allowed in state parks is comical and unimportant,” Fedler said, “But it could affect millions of dollars of revenue for the state, and by the same token it could cost the state money.”

The major benefit of allowing pets into state parks would be to give all campers access to the parks, Fedler said. “Many people like to travel with pets because they are a part of the family,” Holdnak said. “Pets also help to make some campers feel more secure around the campsite.”

The complaints and the survey may not be enough to change the state’s policy, according to Fedler. “They are reluctant to change their policy because that would require additional maintenance, additional use of sites and additional impact on current user groups,” Fedler said. “A lot of folks like the parks without pets.”

Opinions on pets in parks may vary, but the project’s purpose has been focused since the start. “We’re not trying to change the policy, we may make recommendations, but our purpose is to present the information from Florida residents and people from around the world,” Fedler said. “It will be up to the state and the political process to decide.”

The survey process was delayed by some inclement weather, but Holland is hoping the results will be processed in time for the current session of legislature.