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National Park Service to Hikers: Leave Dogs at Home – Sunset Magazine

Before bringing your furry friend on a hike, consider these important things.

By Teaghan Skulszki  – September 9, 2021

Courtesy of Barking Labs

Animal shelters emptied out amid the COVID-19 pandemic as people adopted furry friends to quarantine with through 2021.

But the adventures you may have planned with your pet may need some rethinking, according to the National Park Service.

The service is urging people to reconsider hiking with their dogs after three dogs died on the trails in July. Additionally, NPS and local search and rescue teams in Los Angeles and Ventura County reported about a half dozen canine rescues already in 2021, a year that has seen scorching temperatures across the West.

“Keeping canine companions safe during a hike requires planning and a heavy dose of realism,” Ken Low, an NPS ranger at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, said in a press release.

Source: National Park Service to Hikers: Leave Dogs at Home – Sunset Magazine