Pets in the Grasslands
Don't forget the leash when visiting established recreation areas.
Welcome to the Dakota Prairie Grasslands—where pets are valued companions on your outdoor journeys!
Take action to be a responsible owner: follow these guidelines to ensure a welcoming, beautiful, and safe environment for all visitors, wildlife, and our grasslands.
Pet Owner Responsibilities
Pet regulations on National Forest System lands are set forth in 36 CFR Part 261, which helps ensure a safe, welcoming experience for everyone. The guidelines below highlight what pet owners need to know in both developed recreation areas and the open spaces of the Grasslands.
In Developed Recreation Areas
- Leashes: Keep pets leashed; leashes may not exceed 6 feet. Supervision: Pets must remain with you at all times. Leave them tied up only if signs or local rules permit.
- Be a Good Neighbor: Prevent excessive barking, howling, or meowling.
- Clean Up After Your Pet: Always pick up and pack out your pet’s waste.
Loose animals pose risks to people, livestock, and wildlife.
In Open Grassland Areas
- Control: While a six-foot leash is not always required in open areas, pets must always be under your control—either physically restrained or reliably under voice command. They must never chase or disturb wildlife, livestock, or other visitors.
- Supervision: Pets should never be left alone anywhere on the grasslands.
- Minimize Disturbance: Ensure your pet does not disturb wildlife or people enjoying the outdoors.
- Clean Up: Leaving pet waste on public lands harms the environment. Pet waste spreads disease, pollutes water, ruins soil, and damages prairie ecosystems. Always pick up and pack out waste. If packing out is impossible, bury it 6–8 inches deep and at least 200 feet from water, trails, and campsites.
This speedy cat is having the time of its nine lives—but out here in the grasslands, a loose pet can go from exploring to cat‑ching trouble in no time. Keep your furry friends under control so everyone stays safe—even the wildlife!
Pets Running at Large and Public Safety
For everyone’s safety, loose pets that threaten people, livestock, or wildlife may be impounded. In rare cases of immediate danger, humane measures may be taken to protect visitors and the environment.
If your pet is impounded, you may be responsible for costs such as boarding, transportation, or veterinary care. Pets not claimed within 72 hours may be adopted out or handled in accordance with local procedures.
When you keep your pet leashed or under control, supervise them, minimize noise, and clean up after them—whether in developed recreation areas or out on the open grasslands—you help protect wildlife, preserve the beauty of the natural landscape, and ensure everyone can enjoy the outdoors together.
Please perform prairie pet protocols. Pick up the poop or bury it.
Why Pet Waste Matters
Pet waste on public lands is more than unsightly, it is harmful. It spreads disease, pollutes water, ruins soil, and disrupts ecosystems.
Why you should always pick up after your pet:
• Pet waste can spread more than 65 diseases to people, pets, and wildlife, including Salmonella, E. coli, and roundworms.
• Rain washes waste into streams and ponds, harming aquatic life and making water unsafe. Parasites can also linger in soil for years.
• Pet waste differs from wildlife droppings. Its high nutrients kill plants, introduce disease to wildlife, and damage habitats.
Help keep Dakota Prairie Grasslands clean, safe, and healthy for all. Act: always follow prairie pet protocols and do your doody duty.