The requirement to keep dogs on a leash is observed by most—but not all—visitors to national parks. A recent incident in Great Smoky Mountains National Park involving a pit bull and a deer offers a vivid example of one reason for the regulation.
"Leash laws" in national parks serve several functions: The regulation reduces the risk of conflicts when two or more dogs find themselves in the same vicinity; there's less chance that other visitors will be bitten when they try to pet a stranger's dog that doesn't want to be petted; children (or adults) aren't frightened or even knocked down by the enthusiastic but unwelcome approach of a large dog.
An additional concern for dogs running free in areas such as national parks is the potential for conflicts with wildlife. Every dog has its own personality and temperament, but more often than not, it's simply canine nature to chase another animal, and more than one owner has been caught off-guard when Fido behaved in a totally unexpected way when a wild animal arrives on the scene.
One of those situations had an unfortunate ending last week in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. According to information from park a spokesman, a pit bull attacked a deer in the park. The dog belonged to a man who was camped in the Elkmont area of the park when the incident occurred.
The deer was a mature eight-point buck that weighed about 130 pounds, and a wildlife biologist determined that its injuries were serious enough that attempts to treat it would be futile. The deer was euthanized.
The pit bull's owner was cited for failure to have his dog on a leash, and for destruction of wildlife. An appearance before a U.S. Magistrate on the charges is pending.
Another spokesman at the park said such incidents are fairly rare in the Smokies, and described another situation several years ago that illustrates the value in the "leash law" for protecting pets as well as wildlife. In that case the dog was riding in the bed of a pickup truck which was being driven through the Cades Cove area.
The dog spotted a black bear, jumped out of the truck, and headed for the bear, which was large enough that it wasn't intimidated by the dog. A chase ensured, and the dog became the prey, running back toward the owner, who had stopped his truck alongside the road. In this case, the pursuing bear reportedly broke off the chase when the dog ran into a group of people who had gathered to watch the action. That case fortunately ended without further incident for both the dog and the bear, but this one could have taken a nasty turn.
Finally, conflicts between dogs and skunks rarely end well for the dog—or the owners who are faced with the prospect of transporting their animal back home. That scenario shouldn't require any further discussion!
All of the above situations offer a good reminder: if you travel with a pet on your visits to a park, keep it under physical control. The regulation is for the mutual benefit of the dog, humans and wildlife.
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Comments
I worked in a large metropolitan land based park system for four years. It was not uncommon to see signs up for lost dogs of the chihuahua variety. I'm sure great horned owls or coyotes made quick work of these animals. I guess the owner could be cited for feeding wildlife along with leash law violations.
look if your gonna site someone for the attack of a deer thats cool,but do site every human who litters and who have tooken from the people who actually the land belongs to!!There shouldnt be any exception to the rule!
A loose dog can pose a threat to its owner and others, particularly if it agitates a bear. I met a couple living in an isolated cabin just outside of Yukon Charley Rivers Nat. Preserve in 1978. Both the wife and husband carried severe scars resulting from a bear mauling. They had boated up the Yukon River crossing into Canada and were leisurely floating back home. They had a small dog with them. They stopped to spend a night at the fish camp of a friend. The husband got up early the next morning and went to the river to help empty the fish nets. His wife remained in the tent in her sleeping bag. The dog ran off to explore the surrounding woods. It apparently came upon a bear cub and gave chase. The mother sow moved in to protect her offspring and went after the dog. The dog fled heading back into the camp and ran into the tent where the wife was sleeping. The enraged bear shredded the tent and attacked the wife slashing her with claws and jaws. Her husband heard the screams and ran back into to camp. He tried hitting he bear with a broken tree limb. The bear turned and severely mauled him. By the time the owner of the camp arrived the bear had disappeared into the woods. Fortunately, the camp owner was able to get them into his boat and take them to where they could be evacuated. Moral of the story - keep your dog on a leash.
2 summers ago in Shenandoah a dog was injured when a deer kicked it. The owners were letting it chase a fawn and mama got a little angry about it. There was another case where a man was warned many times to put his dog on a leash but never did. The dog later ran right off of a cliff and died. The man had to climb down and collect his dogs body. The Chingoteague NWR finally ended up banning pets altogether because people just couldn't follow this simple rule.
Ranger Holly
http://web.me.com/hollyberry
Brilliant. Just what I want -- a 100-lb pit bull mix roaming unleashed in the forest with my kids. And yet people are frenzied over people with carry permits bringing (gasp) their guns with them. I need it to protect my child when this idiot's pit bull comes after us.
Why would the pit bull come after you? Why would you assume that would happen? Pit bulls were bred to be human-friendly. Any dog can be bad if not raised properly, just like people. American Pit Bull Terriers, however, are less likely than almost all other dog breeds to be aggressive toward humans, in many cases even after severe abuse. All dogs should be on a leash in public; the breed is irrelevant. Oh, and I guarantee there are countless more shooting deaths than pit bull attacks. And for the poster who mentioned headlines about pit bull attacks: When was the last time you saw a headline about any other dog attack besides a pit bull? I don't know that I've ever seen one. Do you really think that no other dog is attacking people? Of course they are; the media only reports dog attacks as "pit bull" attacks, whether it was a pit or not. "Pit bull" is a sensational buzz word that gets people's attention, and most of the time it's applied to a dog that has nothing to do with pit bulls. This article is a prime example. Why? American Pit Bull Terriers do not grow to be 100 pounds. They're not that big. If you see a gigantic scary-looking dog, it's not an American Pit Bull Terrier.
MMost pits are way under 100 lbs.. every pit I've owned my 5 year old toddler could hang from her slobber jaws and might get a fierce tongue lashing but if you or me got aggressive near that kid my dog would protect that kid with her life. Never seen em aggressive any other time. You know your way more likely to get bit by a lab than a pit... pits are loyal labs have often been more temperamental and known to turn.... you'd be lucky to know the love a pit has for its family. you'd be dumb trying to disturb that bond. Every pit that's ever been bad was eother raised and trained that way or abused neglected and pushed into a corner
This does not surprise me. My husband and I have traveled to GSMNP for 35 years and there is always a number of people who just think the rules don't apply to them. When was the last time you read the headline that the owner of a pitbull was mauled by that same pitbull? I know that any dog has the nature to chase another animal, but I don't know of anyother breed that makes the headlines more often. As said above a small child could have been the target in the campground. While hiking the trails in the Smokies I have run into many people who have their dogs with them and when the dog sees me starts barking...a natural defense of his master. "Oh, he won't bite" the owner says....well, I beg to differ....he has teeth plus he doesn't know me and I don't know him. As a responsible pet owner please follow the rules for everyone's sake.
But it wasn't a child, it was another animal. There's a difference between human aggression and animal aggression. This dog was merely following up on its natural prey drive.
AT Hiker -
Your comment brought to mind an experience I had while hiking a trail in a park in Alaska last summer. In that location, the understory vegetation was thick and I was remaining alert for bears, so it would be an understatement to say I was startled as I approached a trail junction and caught the motion of a large black animal out of the corner of my eye. It only took a second or so to realize that the 4-legged beast headed toward me at high speed was a very large (and fortunately friendly) dog, but I could have avoided a test of my cardiac health if the owner had kept his dog on a leash!
I have to say that the pit bull is getting a bad reputation. No dog is dangerous to people unless it's taught to be. Pit bulls aren't anymore likely to attack a person than any other dog. The different with them is that they were bred to have very strong jaws and don't let go. This is why they're used in dog fighting. I've been around dogs my entire life and have never had a problem with a pit bull, but I have been attacked by a german shepard, a dalmation, and a lab. Any dog is likely to go after an animal though because they are hunters...hence the leash law in parks.
Ranger Holly
http://web.me.com/hollyberry
The moral of this story is **very** important, I personally have gotten tired of running other people's trouble seeking dogs off while I'm hiking in the smokies with my 3 german shepherd dogs (on leash).
However ... 100 pound Pitt Bull? Give me a break! I'm so tired of every Tom, Dick, and Hairy dog that I read about (causing trouble) being automatically referred to as a "Pitt Bull". I want to see a picture of this beast if he is truly a Pitt, because 100# is just astounding! I've trained and rescued/rehabilitated well over 90 Pitt Bull type dogs ... funny that I've never come across one this gigantic. Let's not do this breed any more injustice and just remember that a dog is a dog is a dog. Pitts are no more monsters than an untrained Labrador is a monster (and yes, I've met my share of mean-as-snake Labs), but they do unfortunately attract ill-intentioned owners as well as owners that do not have the skills to handle this strong, athletic, hard-headed breed (but think it would "be cool" to own a "tough" dog).
For the love of dogs, anyone with 1/2 a brain cell should be able to remember that the media is all about *flair* ... unfortunately for the Pitts, it's just not as flashy of a story when it reads "Retriever Mix Mauls So and So"
samatha,you must be kidding....pit bulls are the worst dog a person can own,better have good insurance if they go after anyone,and a good lawyer....you are right about other dogs have maimed and mauled people and other animals,but the pit leads the group in attacks...
For goodness sakes, Leash laws started being enacted over 30 years ago, because many dogs WILL CHASE and injure wildlife, other domestic animals and people if given the opportunity. 30 years ago literally thousands of farm animals and wildlife were injured or killed by loose roaming dogs EVERY year.
Stop, people, this isn't about Pit bulls or German Shepherds, it's about predatory behavior - which all dogs have.
Keep ALL dogs on leashes for the safety of ALL.
Any dog running at me will promptly be sprayed with Counter Assault! Not being a dog person the idea of taking my pet on vacation with me and the restrictions and limitations it would put on me wouldn't be worth it. I am sensitive however that others don't feel the same way. Regardless, be courteous and keep your dog on a leash!
I recall many years ago, a dog jumping into one of the hot pools in Yellowstone and the owner jumped in after him to save him. Needless to say, they both died.
Use that can of Counter Assault in most NPS areas (save areas where bear spray is specifically allowed), and you could be cited for illegal possession/use of a restricted weapon. Perhaps the dog owner gets charged with a violation of leash laws.
I have 2 Great Danes. I always keep them on leashes while hiking. Dogs can be unpredictable under the best of circumstances. Merlin (my 1 year old Blue Merle) is allowed off his leash ONLY while in my front yard or a camping spot after he knows the boundaries. He has been trained to stay within a perimeter (Good Citizen). Bella (my 9 mo. old Chocolate Merle) is NEVER allowed off a leash. Not even in my own front lawn. She will never be. She is incapable of being taught perimeter boundaries.
Having said that, I will acknowledge that the problem is not with the dogs themselves, but with the owner. As a responsible owner, we must know our dogs limitations and constantly supervise them whether or not they are on a leash. Dogs will be dogs. It is imperative to keep our dogs under control at all times.
Living in the area, I used to be visit Cades Cove early on Sunday mornings. The last 5 times I had done this, I left mad and frustrated. People are regularly letting their dogs run loose and chase the deer, turkeys, etc. I never see a ranger !
I am not mad at the rangers, I am made that America has saved some of the last great native/natural places in our lands but does not support them with the funding required to maintain and protect them !
IF you have to take your dogs into a National Park, PLEASE observe the LEASH LAW !!!
Paul -
Thanks for your comments. There's no question that pit bulls have both fans and detractors, and you're correct: the breed has the reputation of being more aggressive than many other types of dogs. Is that fair? I don't know. Perhaps it's deserved, or perhaps it's merely a combination of the belief that the breed is favored by those who raise dogs for fighting and of media coverage of incidents such as this one.
Anticipating that my story would raise the ire of pit bull fans, I intentionally omitted several details from the article, including specifics about the aggressive nature of the attack, the extent of the deer's injuries, and that fact that the dog involved in the second incident mentioned in the story was also a pit bull.
No doubt the short name "pit bull" lends itself to headlines; I suspect most writers would substitute "dog" in place of "German Shepherd" or "Doberman Pinscher" if that had been the breed in this case, although the fact remains – such incidents in park campgrounds are pretty rare, and the dog in this case was a pit bull.
You're correct that a pit bull would weigh less than the "about 100 pounds" cited in the information I received about the incident. Most people had a hard time accurately gauging the weight of a dog; the point of the reference to the weight was that the dog attacked another animal that outweighed the dog by a considerable margin. I've modified the text accordingly.
The key point of this story was the opportunity for a reminder about the reason that leash laws exist in parks—for the protection of wildlife, other visitors—and the dogs. Most readers who have made comments have picked up on that theme, so the article seems to have served its purpose.
Just a couple of comments in re: to pit bulls. Pit bull weight may range from the mid 20's to as much as 110 pounds. On average they are usually in the 40-to-50 lb. range. I have never owned a pit bull, but I have several friends who do own them. The ones I know have a tendency to be vigorously playful, demand attention and are protective of their owners. Dogs are bred for both physical and behavioral characteristics. The pit bull was not originally developed for simple human companionship. One problem with some pit bull owners is that they have more dog than they are able or willing to handle. It takes training, frequent exercise and steady discipline to keep a pit bull or other large, active breeds of dogs. A pit bull recently ran into my yard and killed one of my chickens. I did not blame the dog, but I gave the owners a piece of my mind for letting it run loose where it could go onto private property and attack pets and livestock. I made them pay for the loss of the chicken. They seemed shocked that their pet would actually attack another animal. The question is, what if the dog had run into a yard where small children were playfully running around and perhaps wrestling? Would that have triggered an instinctive attack mode?
Jim -. I completely got the purpose of the article, which was to highlight the importance of leash laws and keeping control of your dog, no matter what breed. I didn't even think of posting until I read the comments, which is what I was responding to. I assumed the pit bull in the article was one of those hybrid breeds that often pass for pure pit bulls when I saw that it weighed 100 pounds. I really didn't think much of it until I referenced it in my post. Killing a deer sounds exactly like what a pit bull would do, even if it's only 30 pounds; I said nothing about pits not being animal aggressive. I'm sure the attack was violent; describing that in the article would not have raised my ire. Animal aggression is natural for pit bulls (although they can usually be raised to get along with other animals, if they are properly socialized), human aggression is not. They are two separate things. Pit bulls are not more likely to attack a human; they're actually less likely than most breeds. Cocker spaniels bite more than pit bulls. It's just that pits are capable of doing more damage than other breeds, and a lot of people own them that shouldn't. It all comes back to responsible ownership. It's more important with a pit bull than with other dogs because they are animal-aggressive and extremely physically capable, not because they are human-aggressive. You can get away with having a spoiled toy dog, but with pit bulls or any other dog that is very athletic and strong, correct training is imperative.
Please leash your animals. As a fellow hiker, I would like the respect I deserve.
I hike with my dogs but I DO keep them on leash at all times. When they are off leash, which is rare, they are always at my side. The only exception is when I am resting or at the site where I plan to sleep. At that point, I allow my dogs to go twenty feet away or less. They have no reason to roam around further than that.
I have a can of mace that I am not afraid to use. I am sorry but if I am walking with my dogs, on leash (in an on-leash area) and your dog comes charging at me, regardless of his friendly or not so friendly intentions, I will spray your dog. I am not going to risk a dog fight or worst. It is the owners responsibility to keep the dog undercontrol! I am alright with a dog running off leash as long as the law allows for it and the dog will not approach me and my pups. This means complete recall and manners when it comes to the dogs greeting strangers!
As for wildlife, please dont let your dog chase them! I dont. What is your plan if your dog does catch a rabbit or a deer? Will you finish killing the animal if your dog doesnt? Will you let the animal waste away? The rabbits and deer have every right to share the land as well.