America's national parks are a treasure meant for everyone to enjoy. Unfortunately, some visitors make that difficult for others. A post to Reddit's r/NationalPark highlights a prime example of what that can look like.
This Reddit user frequently visits Utah's national parks and all too often runs into careless dog owners who don't even bother to leash their pets.
The post — which is titled "Off-Leash Dogs in Utah NPs" — details the Redditor's experiences with these inconsiderate park visitors.
"So many off-leash dogs in Utah NPs. I'm sure it's happening everywhere, but there seems to be a steady uptick over the past few years," the caption reads. "I've seen dogs on major trails all over Utah NPs including back country areas."
"And it's like, what do you say to people?" they continued. "They must know they can't have dogs - there are signs posted everywhere!"
Now, plenty of people would agree that a chance encounter with a new dog is pure bliss. However, that's not the case for everyone. Some people are uneasy around dogs, especially when they're off the leash. For park-goers to let their dog run free in a place where they're clearly prohibited is both inconsiderate and potentially dangerous.
Prohibiting dogs at these parks is not just about other visitors who might be uncomfortable with them, either. These areas are full of danger that a dog can find itself in, from cliffs to predators to poisonous plants.
Then there's the potential for these dogs — who obviously don't know any better — to disturb the fragile ecosystems that are painstakingly maintained in the parks. For example, the OP mentioned seeing a dog running all over delicate cryptobiotic soil at Arches National Park.
We need to do all we can to protect our national parks. That might mean speaking up when we see disrespectful visitors from time to time. But then again, the OP is kind of right: What do you even say to these people to get them to understand?
Commenters joined in the OP's ire:
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Absolutely 👏 "I am a dog owner and lover. Yeah, many dog owners are entitled pricks and believe their dog is fine, the rules aren't actually for them it's for other people," one said.
"Being confident my fellow humans can't be so rude I checked the NPS website to see if there was a Fully Entitled Parks Pass. To my dismay there wasn't one," another snarked.
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