Many of my photos would not have been taken if it was forbidden to enter with a dog in our Slovak Tatras since I have been living here for more than 10 years. I was injured in the Tatras and for a long time I couldn't go there with Wolf due to my physical limitations, so every day I spent with him in the Tatras before and after the injury was magical for me. Even on the Wolf, you could see how happy he is when we go to the Tatras.

For that reason, I was extremely upset when Tanap banned the entry of dogs at the end of the year. There are a few places where we can still go, even to our beloved Skalnatá chata, because Tanap has created dispersion zones and the path along the slope from Tatranská Lomnica is accessible for dog walkers, not so accessible for my back, like the route from Smokovec via Zamkovského chata, the way that is prohibited with a dog. Not to mention other places where we liked to go regularly.

The day I returned from London after almost a month and wanted to write a blog about how much I missed the Tatras, my husband and our Wolf, that home is where the heart is, I learned about this ban. I had the feeling that someone took away the opportunity to live the way I've been living for ten years, the way I've been creating and took away what I love, the Tatras with Wolf by my side. It didn't work for me and I started a petition to restore the entry of dogs to Tanap.

Still not won!

The last 5 days are left to send your suggestions for changing Tanap's visiting rules to the e-mail address sekretariat@tanap.sk, please formulate your messages to the point and politely.

We were patient and with the help of your dissemination, sharing and also the articles that were written about the petition, we exceeded the incredible 7,100 signatures, for which I am extremely grateful. Our collective reminder for restoring the entry of dogs was therefore handed over to Tanap today with recommendations in the following wording:

Subject: Request for re-evaluation of the entrance and permitted routes in the territory of the Tatra National Park accompanied by an animal

Dear management of the Tatra National Park Administration,

I am sending this request on the initiative of your call to change the visiting order of the national park and at the same time as a summary of the petition that was launched on November 27, 2023 and to date has been signed by 7,100 people. This number of signed people does not agree with the current wording of the visitor regulations and the significant restriction of access to TANAP trails accompanied by an animal.

Based on the above-mentioned facts, we ask you to extend the permission to enter hiking trails in the territory of TANAP accompanied by an animal in the following locations:

1. Bielovodská dolina - blue marked hiking trail no. 2907 from the fire station in Bielovodská dolina (valley) to Kačacie plesá (tarns);

2. Javorová dolina - green marked hiking trail no. 5807 from the intersection Pod Muráňom to the confluence of Zelený potok (creek) and Javorinka;

3. Zadné Meďodoly - blue marked hiking trail no. 2911 from the furnace Pod Muráňom to Burdel;

4. Dolina siedmich prameňov (Valley of seven springs) - green marked hiking trail no. 5810 from Šumivý prameň (spring) to Veľké Biele pleso;

5. Dolina siedmich prameňov - yellow marked hiking trail no. 8864 from Čierna voda to Chata Plesnivec;

6. Dolina Bielej vody Kežmarskej - yellow marked hiking trail no. 8861 from Šalviový prameň to Chata pri Zelenom plese;

7. Dolina Bielej vody Kežmarskej - blue marked hiking trail no. 2911 from Šalviový prameň to Veľké Biele pleso;

8. Dolina Bielej vody Kežmarskej - green marked hiking trail no. 5809 from Folvarská poľana to Kovaľčíkova poľana;

9. Malá and Veľká Studená dolina - yellow marked hiking trail no. 8860 from Téryho chata to Zbojnícka chata;

10. Skalnatá dolina - blue marked hiking trail no. 2908 from Štart to Skalnaté pleso;

11. Veľká Studená dolina - blue marked hiking trail no. 2907 from Hrebienok to Zbojnícka chata;

12. Malá Studená dolina - green marked hiking trail no. 5807 from Hrebienok to Téryho chata;

13. Slavkovská dolina - blue marked hiking trail no. 2906 from Rázcestie pod Slavkovským štítom to Slavkovská vyhliadka;

14. Slavkovská dolina - yellow marked hiking trail no. 8858 from Rázcestia nad Zrubami to Velická poľana;

15. Velická dolina - green marked hiking trail no. 5806 from Tatranská Polianka to Sliezsky dom;

16. Velická dolina - yellow marked hiking trail no. 8856 from Rázcestie na Velický most to Rázcestie pod Suchým vrchom;

17. Velická dolina - yellow marked hiking trail no. 8855 from Vyšné Hágy to Batizovské pleso;

18. Mengusovská dolina - blue marked hiking trail no. 2902 from Odbočka zimnej cesty (the turnoff of the winter road) to Štrbské pleso to the vicinity of Popradské pleso;

19. Mengusovská dolina - green marked hiking trail no. 5805 from Trigan to Odbočka zimnej cesty to Štrbské pleso;

20. Mlynická dolina - yellow marked hiking trail no. 8853 from Hotel FIS to Vodopád Skok;

21. Tatranská magistrála – red-marked hiking trail no. 0930 from Rázcestia pred Heliosom (the Crossroads before Helios), running through Trigan, Popradské pleso to Zlomisková dolina, then fromOdbočky na Vyšné Hágy via Batizovské pleso, Sliezsky dom, Hrebienok, Rázcestie nad Rainerovou chatou, rázcestie pri Skalnatej chate and to the Skalnaté pleso, and then from Chata pri Zelenom plese to Veľké Biele pleso;

22. Kamenistá dolina - blue marked hiking trail no. 2901 from the location Salašisko (Podbanské) to Pyšné sedlo;

23. Račkova dolina - yellow marked hiking trail no. 8621 from the Rázcestia Račkovej a Jamníckej doliny to Račkove sedlo;

24. Holý vrch - blue marked hiking trail no. 2714 from the intersection Pod Holým vrchom to Holý vrch;

25. Žiarska dolina - yellow marked hiking trail no. 8618 from the mouth of the Žiarská dolina via Holý vrch;

26. Jalovecká dolina - green marked hiking trail no. 5608 from the intersection Pod Babkami through Babky to sedlo Predúvratie; blue marked hiking trail no. 2736 from chata Pod Náružím to sedlo Predúvratie;

27. Sedlo Pálenica - yellow marked hiking trail no. 8617 from the location Pribisko – Zadný Ivanov via Ostrý grúň and Kozinec to Sedlo Pálenica;

28. Salatínska dolina - blue marked hiking trail no. 2766 from the valley station of the Roháče - Spálená ski center chair lift to the Brestová peak;

29. Salatínska dolina - green marked hiking trail no. 5564 from Spálený žľab through the summit station of the Roháče Ski Center chair lift – Spálená to Predný Salatín – crest;

30. Roháčska dolina - blue marked hiking trail no. 2764 from Adamcuľa - the end of the asphalt road to Roháčské plesá;

31. Smutná dolina - green marked hiking trail no. 5610 from the former Ťatliakova chata through Roháčske plesá to Baníkovské sedlo in conjunction with the educational trail Roháčske plesá from the junction Smutná dolina to Roháčske plesá;

32. Latáná dolina - green marked hiking trail no. 5612 from Zverovka through Sedlo pod Osobitou, Kasne, Lúčna to the intersection, Zadná Látáná;

33. Juráňova dolina - red marked hiking trail no. 0847b: from the mouth of Juráňova dolina to Rázcestie pod Umrlou in conjunction with the green marked educational trail Juráňova dolina from the mouth of Juráňova dolina to Rázcestie pod Umrlou;

We consider these 33 routes recommended by us, which were prohibited in the new visiting regulations, to be a compromise of the 65 prohibited routes.

Furthermore, we suggest entering accompanied by the animal under the owner's control, that is, on different types of leads available on the market without the obligation to wear a muzzle, as this is inappropriate and dangerous for the animal's health during sports performance.

We also propose higher fines for non-compliance with the above-mentioned routes and conditions when entering the national park trails with a dog, and we request greater control of compliance with these conditions.

In case of interest from the management of TANAP, we would also suggest creating a mobile application for reporting entry accompanied by an animal to the territory of the national park, or a paid stamp authorizing entry, which would have different validity periods, so that it would also be available for short-term tourists, or tourists from abroad. Fees for stamps, or for the application, would be another source of income for the national park for its improvement.

By changing the proposal for entering the national park, we would like to find a compromise so that we do not follow in the footsteps of Poland, but on the contrary, make accessible tourist routes and natural beauty, as is the case in national parks in the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia and other countries, not only in Europe.

We thank you in advance for the positive approval of our proposal, which is based on 7,100 signatures of people and lovers of the Tatras who like to visit our high mountains in the presence of their canine companions.

Sincerely

Mgr. Lucia Paugsch

Attachment: 7,100 signatures and people's comments from the petition "For permission to enter the territory of Tanap accompanied by an animal".