I have lost count of the number of times that my service dog, Eilish, and I have been scolded by strangers at national parks, often to the tune of, “Dogs aren’t allowed here!”
In my more generous moments, I can make sense of this: pet dogs are not allowed on most trails at most national parks, and almost every trail sign advertises this fact with a drawing of a dog with a red “no symbol” superimposed on top.
But service dogs are allowed in national parks, anywhere that the public can go. In fact, the National Park Service website has a dedicated page for service dogs that says that “service dogs are legally permitted anywhere that visitors can go.” This is true even on cliff dwelling tours at Mesa Verde National Park, inside caves at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and in swampy Everglades National Park.
In fact, as with all public access, service dogs make it possible for their handlers to access national parks, which in many cases are otherwise inaccessible for those same handlers.
→ Jen Kolar described the ways in which her dad’s mobility service dog, Turner, supported him in climbing over logs, bracing downhill, and pulling uphill.
→ Molly Neher’s seizure alert service dog, Reid, made it possible for her to traverse trails that would otherwise be very dangerous for someone who has seizures.
→ My psychiatric service dog, Eilish, and Jen’s service dog, Theo, both help us to mitigate the debilitating panic attacks that often happen in crowded or confined places like national parks.
Service dogs may require special training to work in national parks. Busy outdoor locations like national parks (with critters running around!) may be more distracting than the places that most service dogs frequent with their handlers.
Heeling may not be possible on narrow trails, so service dogs and their handlers may need to practice a different formation that is safe but can also maintain whatever focus is needed for the dogs’ tasks. And depending on the conditions—of the trail, of the weather—a service dog may need different gear in national parks, which may require some conditioning work.
While none of us (Jen, Molly, or I) have experienced discrimination from national park rangers or employees, all of us have been targets of “surveillance” by the public. That is, park visitors take it upon themselves to educate us about the rules about pets in the park. Sometimes this appears well-meaning, and in fact opens an opportunity for conversation about service dogs. Other times, the person who issued the “dogs aren’t allowed” goes on to express skepticism, distaste, or even anger about the presence of our service dogs.
In an ideal world, rather than trails being exclusively marked with “no dogs allowed” signs, they would also include “service dogs welcome” signs, to educate the public about the important role that service dogs play in their handlers’ lives. It would certainly make us feel more welcome, as their companions.
Amy D. Robertson is a retired physics professor and physics education researcher and mama to Eilish, a bernedoodle and service dog. Eilish and Amy have been a team for three years.
About Atlas Assistance Dogs
Atlas Assistance Dogs is a non-profit organization that fundamentally expands access to assistance dogs. We support people with disabilities to train and certify their own service dog using positive, ethical training methods. At Atlas, we believe anyone who would benefit from a qualified assistance dog should be able to have one.
We work with people with a wide range of disabilities who wish to train their own service dog as well as offer a comprehensive Academy for professional trainers wanting to become service dog trainers. For more information about Atlas’ Client Certification program or other training services, please visit www.atlasdog.org or contact info@atlasdog.org.
