I don't think they would mind the owners staying. I think when I read that I just assumed that they were afraid that people wouldn't want to commit their time to sitting around for the play all of those days so in order to get more of a response they were giving people the option of just dropping off their dogs. But I agree, I think people like us wouldn't leave their dogs with strangers. I just find it sad that no one associated with the play has a dog (just kidding, they may all have housefuls of large dogs).