12/15/2025
I have thought long and hard about making this post. I put a lot of my heart, soul and sweat into making Rising Star a great place for our entire community. I am continuously investing, making sure this facility is continuously updating the equipment to the safest equipment available for our canine partners. I am adding amenities to make Rising Star the best and most convenient experience for all of us.
Last weekend, I discovered that the building had incurred damage from an RV while walking my dogs to potty outside during the trial. After reviewing videos I was able to determine quickly that the RV parked there hit the building upon arrival. The RV owner did not make me aware that she hit my building. I pulled the person aside and she indicated that she was not aware she hit the building, apologized and indicated she would contact her insurance. She and I looked at the damage together on the building and the corresponding marks on her RV ladder that impacted the building. She measured the impact points on the building and the distance between the rungs of her ladder. They matched up. She didn't understand how the buckling of the exterior happened and I didn't take time to determine why at that moment, while hosting a trial, nor did I feel it was important since it was clear that she had done the damage with her RV. I also made her aware that there are vent panels, important to my facility, behind this exterior panel. I would not know if any damage was done to this until the exterior panels were removed. This will require a lift because the panel is over 20' tall.
The owner of the RV did not deny that she hit my building, the building that I constructed for our community. She communicated to me that she didn't understand how she could have caused the wall panel to buckle and that she could not have caused any damage to anything behind the panel. I have since been contacted by her insurance. They made me aware the RV owner is disputing that she caused all of the damage. I knew the RV owner's questions and since I had time after the trial to investigate the damage, I explained the buckling was caused because the exterior panel is rivetted to the main foundation of the building on that parallel line and the rivets above and below the 2 impact points didn't allow for any flexing of the steel when the RV hit it and buckled under the pressure. Her insurance company then explained the RV owner is claiming she only created 1 small dent at the base of the building and no other damage. The damage to the building stretches out over 10' high in a pattern consistent with the ladder attached to her RV and the ladder showed impact points consistent with the building.
The owner of the RV admits to hitting Rising Star. The owner of the RV did not come forward to make me aware that she hit the building. She repeatedly admitted she caused the damage but didn't understand how she could have caused the exterior panel to buckle. She also claimed she could not have caused any damage behind the panel. The RV owner, then, claimed to her insurance that only caused 1 small dent, despite admitting that she did the other damage on site to me. Insurance is denying the claim and is not paying for any damage. I will have to sue the RV owner to recover around $10,000 of damage to Rising Star. Rising Star put aside money for the last 3 years to invest in our new, safer jumps, dog walk and turf cleaner. 3 years of saving for $10,000 for safer equipment for all of our dogs. This RV owner did that amount of damage to the building, didn't report it and is disputed the damage se admitted to doing so that her insurance will cover zero dollars.
My initial reaction was to no longer allow RVs near Rising Star. How could someone be so careless, do damage, lie and be okay with taking so much away from our community? I'm angry. I'm hurt.
I know that 99% of the people who come here, care for Rising Star like it was their own home. Please bear with me as I digest this person's actions and reactions. I am not banning RVs near the building currently. Moving forward, I will be sending photos of the building prior to RV arrival, and I will be asking for pictures of the building where your RV was parked prior to your departure. I am not sure this is the long term solution. I have lost some faith in people taking accountability for their own actions. The cost to Rising Star and our community is huge. My trust and faith in this person are broken, and it has shaken my faith in people to be honest.
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