As national park visits skyrocket during peak seasons, it’s important to remain abreast of all safety precautions to keep you and your loved ones — including your canine companions — safe.
Recently, a visitor of Grand Teton National Park learned this lesson the hard way.
After letting their dog off its leash near a herd of bison, a video taken by another visitor shows the two animals in a heated moment, about to face off in a potentially violent battle.
The bison is clearly agitated by the curious dog, exhibiting behaviors like flicking its tail, and kicking up dust, before engaging in a “bluff” charge to communicate to the dog that enough is enough.
Fortunately, the dog, who appears to be a Husky, gets the message and runs off.
But for dog lovers, the video is certainly an anxiety-inducing watch, teaching a valuable lesson about wildlife safety.
Many wild animals found in some of America’s most popular national parks include elk, moose, and bison, all of which usually treat domestic dogs as they would wolves.
This means they are likely to attack or try to trample them — which is a danger to dogs, but also to their humans. While these animals rarely attack humans, they might feel a little more agitated if spooked or provoked by a dog.
In Grand Teton National Park specifically, dogs are allowed to visit, though strict rules apply to keep everyone safe. They must be on leashes at all times and are not allowed to enter indoor facilities like visitor centers and may not come along with humans on trails.
“A good rule of thumb is that a pet may go anywhere a car may go: roads and road shoulders, campgrounds and picnic areas, parking lots, etc,” reads guidelines from the National Park Service.
“Pets must be on a leash (six feet or less), under physical restraint, and within 30 feet of the roadway. Pets are not permitted on any park trails or in the backcountry.”
Service animals are allowed throughout the park, but also must meet requirements like being kept on a leash, and their handlers are required to fill out a form at the visitor center upon arrival.
Additional rules for pets at the park include things like not leaving them unattended or tied to an object, keeping them away from thermal water areas, picking up and disposing of pet waste, and ensuring that someone is with the dog inside a vehicle to ensure their safety.
According to the Instagram account that shared the original video: “These policies exist to protect pets from being killed by predators like bears and coyotes, to protect them from being burned or killed in hot springs, to prevent the exchange of diseases between domestic animals and park wildlife, and to allow others to enjoy the park without the disruption of pets.”
While safe visits to national parks like Grand Teton or Yellowstone are possible with canine adventure buddies, there are a number of other national parks that are notoriously more dog-friendly (and may even award your furry friend with an official BARK Ranger badge!).
BARK principles include the following:
- (B)ag and carry out your waste
- (A)lways wear a leash
- (R)espect wildlife
- (K)now where you can go
There are approximately 150 national parks that encourage and award BARK Rangers, making it easy — and fun — to abide by safety guidelines when enjoying the beauty of America’s public lands.
“The main purpose of the [BARK Ranger] program is to make contacts with visitors and their pets to help everyone have an enjoyable visit,” the NPS explains. “The goal is to increase awareness of positive pet behaviors and reduce the number of non-compliant dog incidents.”
Header image courtesy of NPS / David Restivo
