No, pet dogs are not allowed in Baxter State Park.

[TJ aka Teej]

Just want to clear something up regarding recent social media posts and photos of a hiker and her dog on Baxter Peak. Only service dogs are allowed in the Park, There is no "interview process," no "applying", no "special exception," no "legitimate reason." Either the dog is a service animal, or not. Pets are not allowed.

 

[peakbagger]

BTW Maine along with several other states have false service dog laws that have been enacted. Here is the master list https://www.animallaw.info/topic/table-state-assistance-animal-laws

Below is a cut and paste of the Maine law. I expect the BSP staff have received training on the legally allowable questions to determine the status."When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform."

Fraudulent Representation

A person who fits a dog with a harness, collar, vest or sign of the type commonly used by blind/disabled person in order to represent that the dog is a service dog when training of the type that guide dogs normally receive has not been provided or when the dog does not meet the definition of “service dog” commits a civil violation for which a fine of not more than $500 may be adjudged.

17 M. R. S. A. § 1314-A

I will let the lawyers figure it out. I expect more than few folks confuse the Emotional Support Animal designation that the airlines allow with Service Animals.

 

[sierra]

Her dog is a registered Service dog. He can also fly on planes.

 

[TJ aka Teej]

Her dog is a registered Service dog.

No 'interview process', no 'tenacity', no 'applying' for 'special exception,' needed for service dogs to enter Baxter.
Service dogs are allowed. Pets are not.

 

[sierra]

No 'interview process', no 'tenacity', no 'applying' for 'special exception,' needed for service dogs to enter Baxter.
Service dogs are allowed. Pets are not.

What is your point on this. Is it the fact that she got her dog in there?

 

[TJ aka Teej]

What is your point on this.

See the OP.

 

[sierra]

Yeah, I saw that. I'm glad she hiked with her dog. I guess, I'm not really concerned with how.

 

[ChrisB]

Only service dogs are allowed in the Park, There is no "interview process," no "applying", no "special exception," no "legitimate reason." Either the dog is a service animal, or not. Pets are not allowed.

This issue is actually a significant problem for the Park. Several times a week in the summer folks arrive at the gate claiming that Fluffy is really a service / therapy dog, when in fact the dog is nothing more than the family pet. The lack of certification, Internet availability of fake credentials and service dog-collars, and cost to board an animal while on vacation all feed into this deception.

Then there is the really gray area known as the "therapy" dog. This designation seems to be at the owners discretion any time its convenient.

Some folks even try to hide a dog under blankets to get one into the park. Rangers working the gate look hard to detect the presence of a dog.

When I worked there last year Park security would chase down folks who let dogs off-leash after they gained entrance to the park. Not something you ever do with a working service dog.

All in all a pathetic abuse of a privilege aimed at the "challenged" population. But if the able-bodied use a handicapped ruse to go to the head of the line at Disneyworld, and Granny's handicapped placard to score the best parking space a the mall, I suppose we should not be surprised they lie at Togue Pond gate.

May their karma catch up with them...

cb

Check this out for a rare example of justice served to a faker.

 

[DayTrip]

It is a very strange story. The person in question is very well known in the hiking community and anyone who follows her posts knows that neither herself or any of the crew she hikes with are in even in the slightest need of a service animal. Their hiking exploits are pretty legendary. And it isn't as if she hid the fact that she got her dog into the park so if she somehow "gamed the system" I wouldn't think she would openly flaunt that fact. I've never met her personally but she doesn't sound like that sort of person to me anyway. So I take her at her word that she did engage in some sort of negotiation to get her dog in the park and she believes it was done by the rules or she would have kept it to herself.

Someone previously mentioned that her dog is a registered service animal so I wonder if that was the source of the "debate/begging". If park laws allow for a service animal but the animal is not going to be used in that capacity does that prohibit the dog from entry? Maybe this loophole of sorts prompted the discussion that ultimately allowed her to gain access for the dog. She argued that the rules allow for entry for service animals and the park pushed back saying that a service animal was not needed under the circumstances and thus the dog would not be admitted. Sounds like there is no other explanation for the seemingly legit entry.

 

[TJ aka Teej]

... with my pup, Cole.... I was lucky enough to apply, beg and pass an interview process that allowed him into Baxter State Park.

Again, there is no "interview process" to "apply" for. No amount of "begging" will change policy.
Service dogs are allowed.
Pets are not.

 

[TJ aka Teej]

So I take her at her word that she did engage in some sort of negotiation to get her dog in the park

Claiming there is some negotiation, some interview process to apply for, some special exception to be granted, is misinformation.
Service dogs are allowed.
Pets are not.

 

[DayTrip]

Claiming there is some negotiation, some interview process to apply for, some special exception to be granted, is misinformation.
Service dogs are allowed.
Pets are not.

Awful lot of vitriol for this topic don't you think? Jeez. What I was curious about/was asking is if there is a distinction made for a service dog "in use" versus a service dog "off duty"? You can't fathom that a conversation about that distinction may have happened and that could be construed as a negotiation? So she called Baxter, got out three words out about her dog and the ranger bellowed "Silence!! Rule 14b, Section 6; Request denied!!" and hung up on her??

Maybe you could add a little context to your apparent hatred of her reference to negotiations rather than just saying "Service dog: yes. Pets: no" to every response people have. You are the one who started the thread after all.

 

[nartreb]

Claiming there is some negotiation, some interview process to apply for, some special exception to be granted, is misinformation.
Service dogs are allowed.
Pets are not.

How do you believe that rangers distinguish between "service dogs" and "pets" when they see a dog arriving at the gate? Are you claiming they can make this determination without speaking to the dog's human companion?

 

[Hillwalker]

Shifty eyes?

 

[ChrisB]

What exactly is an official '"service dog"? What kinds of disabilities utilize service dogs in BSP?

Becca -- A typical example of a service dog that might accompany a hiker is a dog trained to detect low blood sugar in a diabetic.

StinkyFeet -- Sue, what was the disability your dog addressed in your recent Baxter Trip? Or are you crowing about lying to staff to get Cole into the park? Please clarify.

cb

 

[thegibba]

Becca -- A typical example of a service dog that might accompany a hiker is a dog trained to detect low blood sugar in a diabetic.

StinkyFeet -- Sue, what was the disability your dog addressed in your recent Baxter Trip? Or are you crowing about lying to staff to get Cole into the park? Please clarify.

cb

Stinkyfeet is not the person in question. She was merely quoting the person in question. I made this mistake at first read.

 

[skiguy]

How do you believe that rangers distinguish between "service dogs" and "pets" when they see a dog arriving at the gate? Are you claiming they can make this determination without speaking to the dog's human companion?

I'm sure that is not what is being implied. Although some simple Googling will show that people with Service Dogs have a broad range of rights covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The owner of a Service Dog merely has to state the dog is just that a "Service Dog". Any other inquiry into an owner of a Service Dog is against the law.

 

[sierra]

This thread has done me one favor. It has reminded me why, I don't go there. Uptight and over regulated to the point of nauseam.

 

[DayTrip]

This thread has done me one favor. It has reminded me why, I don't go there. Uptight and over regulated to the point of nauseam.

I didn't feel that way when I went for the first time last year and despite all the rules I didn't feel like I was being hassled at all. I thought the park staff was very friendly. I appreciate that there are places left in the country where a concerted effort is made to maintain the overall experience of the area without the pressures of budgeting, politics and the whims of the moment. Staying true to a mission statement made many years ago I find quite admirable actually. It takes more planning and isn't as carefree as NH but the experience is worth it in my opinion. Baxter had a decidedly different feel to it than anywhere else I've gone in NH or NY. I thought Baxter had a good balance of regulation versus personal enjoyment. If every single park was like this maybe I'd have different feelings.

 

[sierra]

I didn't feel that way when I went for the first time last year and despite all the rules I didn't feel like I was being hassled at all. I thought the park staff was very friendly. I appreciate that there are places left in the country where a concerted effort is made to maintain the overall experience of the area without the pressures of budgeting, politics and the whims of the moment. Staying true to a mission statement made many years ago I find quite admirable actually. It takes more planning and isn't as carefree as NH but the experience is worth it in my opinion. Baxter had a decidedly different feel to it than anywhere else I've gone in NH or NY. I thought Baxter had a good balance of regulation versus personal enjoyment. If every single park was like this maybe I'd have different feelings.

I understand the premise and the mission to uphold that. I've been once and climbed what I wanted to climb. That being said, I prefer places less regulated. Maybe my taste for the park results in regulations from years gone by. I went to solo the peak in the winter years ago and was flatly denied access. That did it for me. It's no big deal, frankly I just don't need to go back. And I would never go without my dog.