Disclaimer: Hot springs at Yellowstone National Park are not for bathing.
Should that rule come as a surprise? No, it shouldn’t. But is it surprising that some moron tourists at a national park (usually referred to as “tourons”) would try to give their dog a bath in a thermal area? No, it really isn’t. I like to think that most people are smart, though seeing these types of videos always knocks down that faith.
Since 1888, rangers at Yellowstone National Park have erected signs that warn visitors to stay out of the thermal springs. If you were to visit today, you’d see large signage that lays out guidance – and what not to do – written in five different languages. Each sign warns tourists to stay on the provided board walk walkways and to avoid getting into the hot water.
And despite all of those warnings, you’ve still got tourists like this who somehow miss all of the signs and decide to give their pet a bath in the hot spring.
Just to be clear, Yellowstone National Park is very strict about visitors bringing their own animals into the park. With all of the potential risks and hazards associated with bringing a pet to the park (which features hot springs and wild animals), here are just some of the rules that the national park lays out for tourists:
-Pets may only accompany people in developed areas and must remain within 100 feet (30.5 meters) of roads, parking areas, and campgrounds.
-Pets must be physically controlled at all times: they must be in a car, in a crate, or on a leash no more than six feet long.
-Pets may not be left unattended or tied to an object.
-Pets may not be left in a situation where food, water, shade, ventilation, and other basic needs are inadequate.
-Pets are not allowed on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry, or in thermal areas.
Translation: be a responsible pet owner and never, under any circumstance, enter into a hot spring to bath your dog. That’s one of those things where the NPS probably thinks, “Surely we don’t have to put that in writing.” But guess what? There are people like this in the video below that need common sense guidance plastered all over the park – and even when it is, they seemingly ignore it.
It hurts me to see the dog looking so uncomfortable as its owners force it into the hot water for bath time. The video from 2021 is quite possibly the most irresponsible pet owner moment in the history of Yellowstone National Park, and that’s saying something considering there’s a viral video of a pit bull getting launched into the air by a bison.
The wonderful Instagram page known as “Tourons of Yellowstone” posted the video of the idiotic pet owners with a caption that rightfully called them out:
“What in the sam hell is going on here? Looks like BOSS and his barefoot lady friend are about to start a high end luxury dog spa. (Burns not included in price).”
You can see a bit of steam coming off the water so it’s definitely hot. The man is sitting in it himself, so it was definitely not scalding, but regardless…. how dumb can you be? Answer: Pretty dumb. More than 20 people have died from severe burns by falling into hot springs at Yellowstone National Park… thankfully, these folks and their pets didn’t become part of that statistic.
