YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Yellowstone National Park (YNP) is reminding visitors that pets are not allowed on boardwalks, hiking trails or thermal areas following a recent incident that is now circulating online.
On July 8, a photo was uploaded to the “Tourons of Yellowstone” Facebook page of a person with a German Shepard on a YNP boardwalk.
While qualified and leashed service animals are allowed throughout YNP and in all facilities, YNP says pets may only accompany people in developed areas and must remain within 100 feet of roads, parking areas and campgrounds.
The Park also says pets are not allowed to be left unattended or tied to an object, and recommends minimizing the time a pet is in a vehicle alone.
“There are NO EXCEPTIONS to the regulations for carried pets (in arms, carriers, strollers, backpacks and so forth) in restricted parts of the park,” YNP writes on their website.
The Park’s pet policies are in place to protect pets from being killed by bears or coyotes or burned or killed in hot springs. The policies also help prevent the exchange of diseases between domestic animals and park wildlife, YNP says, and allows people to enjoy the areas without the disruption of pets.
