WHY IS THE FOREST SERVICE SO STRICT ABOUT DOGS BEING ON LEASHES?
Three reasons: First, more than 70% of the people polled at developed recreation sites comment that they dislike unleashed dogs. The leash law is enforced to promote consideration for the majority of users. Second, here at Hot Creek at least 4 loose dogs have died in hot water when they fell in after wandering too close to the edges of pools. In two of these cases their owners were seriously burned and scarred for life when they jumped into the pools in an attempt to save the dog. Third, loose dogs can step into small hot steam vents as they cannot detect scalding conditions as people can.
