Myself, I have to say I always inform car rental agencies, when I book, that a dog will be in the car (if one will), and have even been turned away because of this, in the past, by some rental car companies. (I have loads of car rental experience, but have only rented vehicles a few times when dogs would be in them.)

Like the original author, I return all rental cars in pristine condition, but without the need for all the seat covers and turning over of mats.

You see, any dog in my care is scrupulously clean and groomed. That’s a given. This significantly reduces the amount of shedding and other “remnants” that might be left behind.

Second, I’m a bit of a clean fanatic, anyway. Yes, that’s me, cleaning parts of the interior of my car with an ear swab. I’m such a fanatic, I have an in-car case that holds various cleaning supplies, including a vacuum. And not just any vacuum. I’m a dog owner. I know you need the kind with the rotating head attachment, to get that pet hair out of carpets. Straight suction isn’t enough! (Waiting for my husband’s commuter train to arrive is the perfect opportunity to vacuum the inside the car, isn’t it?)

Like hotel rooms, I suspect any car I rent looks and smells better after my dog has been in it, than before.

Should I have to go to those lengths? No.

Does it negatively affect every dog owner who comes behind me, if I don’t? Sadly, yes. So I keep it up. ‘Lead by example,’ so to speak.

I will say I’ve never had an additional fee charged after returning a vehicle to a rental company. But it doesn’t surprise me at all to hear that people are being reamed.

I look forward to the day when one can no longer be discriminated against simply for having a dog in one’s company.