Jewel Cave National Monument does allow service animals in all outdoor areas, within the visitor center, and on the Discovery Tour (the only accessible cave tour). Service animals must be harnessed or leashed.
Service animals are defined as, "any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items." Since these animals provide service for persons with disabilities, they are not considered to be pets and, consequently, are not regulated as pets. Accordingly, they have been allowed to go into areas where pets are traditionally prohibited.
Due to the concern for cave preservation and protection, as well as wildlife management issues on the surface, Jewel Cave National Monument's regulation allows the closing of an area to the use of service animals if it is determined that the service animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of people or wildlife.
In determining whether a service animal poses a direct threat, individualized assessments based on current scientific knowledge or on the best available objective evidence to ascertain the nature, duration and severity of the risks have been taken into account and less restrictive measures will not suffice.
Currently pets are permitted in the following areas:
Note: Pets and Service Animals present in areas not permitted, open themselves to potential issues with wildlife, as well as posing a significant danger to the handler and other visitors.
Visit the Americans with Disabilities Act web page for more information about service animal regulations.
