Sounds like mass chaos to me
The AT is a people trail, it is more like a footpath highway then "solitude in nature". It is what it is. Your going to find that there is a whole lot less breaking rules on the trail, then in a city or suburb just simply due to the pop density.
I personally would not complain about seeing 2 dogs a day on a hiking trip. Especially if they did not impact me in any way. I do not leash my dog on any hiking trip, but then again he is glued to my knee the ENTIRE time we are hiking. He wanders around a bit at camp but doesn't bother anything.
The feces: 2 misplaced piles of poo in 30 miles really isn't anything to write home about. You are in south Appalachia during peak thru hiking season(spring), If you filter your water, what does it matter if it is dog poo, or bear poo? poo is poo, boo. I rub it on my face to blend in with those nasty thru hikers.
I would suggest maybe finding a more desolate trail like the BMT, the Florida Long Trail, Pinhoti ETC. Or if its just the dog issue, head on up to the Smokies, there are 800 miles of trails that do not allow dogs in the park have at it! lol