Pets

Many of our visitors are pet lovers and often visit the park with their pets. We welcome pets on park grounds, but a few restrictions must be followed.

• Pets are not allowed inside any historic structure or the Visitor Center.

• In all areas of the park pet excrement shall be removed immediately from the park or deposited in a refuse container by the persons controlling the pet.

To ensure pets are properly cared for while in the park.

• Pets will not be left in areas where food, water, shade, ventilation and other basic needs are inadequate.

• Pets will not be left tied to light poles, handrails, or trees.

• Leashes will not exceed 6-foot length.

Prohibitions or restrictions do not apply to:

• Emergency search and rescue missions; or

• Law enforcement patrol or bomb dogs; or

• Qualified service dogs accompanying persons with disabilities per the American Disability Act. (NOTE: Companion animals are not service animals and have no access rights under federal statute.)

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The B.A.R.K. Ranger program is designed to be similar to the Junior Ranger program, and it encourages fun, healthy, and responsible use of national park units by visitors and their dogs. By encouraging dog walking, the B.A.R.K. Ranger program promotes healthy habits for both human companions and their dogs.This includes information on how to best enjoy the park with a dog, designated areas where dogs are permitted, and the requirements for visiting the park with a dog. At the end of the program, participants sign a B.A.R.K. Ranger certificate and promise to follow the B.A.R.K. Ranger Code.

To learn more about proper pet etiquette in the park and become a canine ambassador, consider becoming a B.A.R.K. Ranger at Ulysses S. Grant NHS.

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A pet can be a dog, cat, or any animal that has been domesticated.

Service animals are defined specifically as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. (Americans with Disabilities Act guidance on service animals & 28 CFR 36.104)