It always surprises me to see folks bring their pets -- usually dogs -- to national parks. It's surprising because most parks ban pets from trails, and always require them to be on leashes. As a result, the pets usually spend time in a nearby kennel, in the rig, or being walked in parking lots. Should the rules change?
While we always leave our springers behind at home, more than a few pet owners wouldn't think for a minute of leaving their animals -- family members, actually -- behind. While park officials don't want dogs and other pets to get in frays with wildlife, leave their "messes" behind, or bother other visitors, some pet owners will point out that their pets are better behaved than many of today's teens and a surprising number of adults.
What do you think? Are park officials being overly stringent in banning pets on trails? Do you avoid national parks because of these regulations?
Comments
Absolutely not!
Pets should not be allowed in national parks. Pets can be dangerous (two people in my family have been bitten, one required surgery!) by 'friendly' dogs.
In addition, there are too many irresponsible pet owners out there who refuse to clean up after their pet. All too often, the doo-doo gets left behind for someone to clean up or step on.
NO DOGS IN NATIONAL PARKS *PLEASE*!
I've been with the NPS my entire career and have been a dog owner my entire life. I am torn by the NPS dog policies as I understand the resource protection and the pet protection issues all too well. While at Golden Gate we were within earshot of the blood curdling scream of a heartbroken dog owner whose pet ran off the edge of a 300' high cliff - while chasing sea gulls.
I have also seen dogs tear after elk and deer, leaving theirs owners bellowing their names in futility.
However, my husband and I never travel to National Parks for fun-because we like to hike, and so does our dog.
There are situations where I think the NPS should allow dogs on trails-for example the west side of Rocky Mt where there are a number of trails that start on NPS property, but quickly leave the park and enter National Forest land in the Neversummer area.
The idea of allowing leashed dogs on some trails in parks should be explored at each park. The NPS tends to be a 'No' agency mainly because it's always easier to just say no than to try to work out a challenging situation.
As for pets chasing animals or running off of cliffs, a bit of education and substantial fines for unleashed animals would provide a major deterant to folks taking Fido off leash.
I would like the NPS ban on pets dropped during the late fall/winter seasons. During this time of year the Smokies (I live in TN) are alot less crowded.I only hike at this time of year because my dogs are Siberians Huskies (lots of fur!) Also my dogs are always on leash because Siberians love to run. I don't take my dogs on popular trails and I usually hike during the week or early on the weekends to avoid people. I am female and feel more comfortable having my dogs along with me.
I agree with the poster that said its just easy to say No. Why don't we try to work out solutions for everyone to enjoy All of Ours national parks.
I'm firmly in the no pets period camp. It is a training, disease and wildlife issue. Way to many pets are untrained/unexperienced for dealing with wildlife.
In my own experience I've seen two dogs and a cat get taken out by wildlife. An immaculately groomed standard poodle became alligator chow while it's owner was a good 500' plus away around a bend in the trail. Only day I could get out to a Florida park to enjoy the sights, and I get to see what is obviously a well loved family pet become dinner. Put a bit of an unwanted emotional slant to the day, but that braced me for a small noisy yipper getting a ride via bald eagle airlines. I'm sure the weasel it chased down the hole was happy to have it removed from the entrance. I never saw it's owner, but I did see missing pet signs the next time I visited the park. The cat became owl dinner. I didn't see the snatch, but I did see it land on a tree branch and dine. The owner was in hysterics. By the way this was at a campgrounds.
I know I am late to this topic but I have to say on my recent visit to Devil's Postpile I was appalled by how much horse poop was everywhere. Dogs are allowed on these trails as well and I didn't see any dog poop anywhere, just lots of horse poop. Why are horse owners not held responsible for the large amounts of waste their animals leave behind? Its disgusting and its always right in the middle of the trail. The very least the NPS can do is allow dogs on horse trails. I used to avoid National Parks because I couldn't take my dogs with me and I hated it. Now I have children and I don't want them to miss out on National Parks because we have dogs so I have to leave my dogs at home. I have found a repsonsible person to come into my house and care for them because I can't bare to leave them in a kennel but I still don't feel good about having to leave them behind. I do think National Park attendance would go up if dogs were allowed on more trails. I know I am not the only one who has avoided parks because of my dogs.
I have worked in a National Park and wish the dog people who somehow feel their dogs are their babies would get a life. Anyone who will not go to a park if Fido can't go doesn't really want to see the park and its' beauty. They just want everyone to see their baby ( Fido ). I wonder why Jack Hanna didn't take a dog with him on his Glacier Park hike. That would have been a big help for his situation with the bear family.
We have avoided the NPs because of the no dog rules, however we also want to take our two-legged children to the NPs. I have wondered why the nps doesn't require a "permit" to allow dogs on hiking trails. The park service could require proof of neutering and several immunizations before issuing the permit. I would be willing to pay a fee for that right. It seems quite unnatural to ban dogs from parks. It's OK to bring firearms, snowmobiles. what would John Muir Think?
Like other folks with dogs, we tend to vacation and spend our $ in the national forrest areas. We would like to take our children to the NPs but the dog rules just don't make any sense and the science just doesn't support the rules about dogs. People, cars, atvs, snowmobiles, firearms and plastic/human waste are far more damaging than the presense of the family dog. Has the Park sevice thought of issuing an permit for dogs? Perhaps the Park service could require vaccines and neutering of dogs as a condition for issuing permits? We would gladly pay a fee rather than locking up our dog in a cage so that we can visit a natural and wild National park. what would John Muir and his 4-legged friend Stickeen think of this nonsense?