"The fact is that dogs at festivals are there because their owners cannot be bothered to make alternative arrangements."

That's unfair, Uncle Dave. I kennelled my dog for each of the festivals where I was either camping or staying in accommodation this year. The only festival I took her to was last weekend, because I was only going for the afternoon, and I honestly thought she'd enjoy it. She did. And all of the people who stopped to talk to her enjoyed seeing her, too.

It's probably hard to understand if you're not a dog lover, but for people who are, the dog is a part of their family. They don't take them to festivals because they can't be bothered to make alternative arrangements: they take them because the dogs are their companions and they like having them around. If the dog is well behaved and the owner is responsible, there's really no reason that this needs to be a problem.