A pet dog died on the Lost Palms Oasis trail in Joshua Tree National Park Saturday afternoon. Two men from Long Beach took the dog with them on a seven-mile desert hike. Passing hikers came to the Cottonwood Visitor Center about 12:45 p.m. and reported that the dog, a 4- or 5-year-old black lab, was in distress about a mile from the trailhead. Park rangers hiked to the site—where they found the dog already dead—and carried its body out on a litter. One of the men was also showing signs of heat-related illness. The temperature in the Cottonwood area of the park reached 81 degrees Saturday afternoon. While pets are permitted in Joshua Tree National Park, they are not permitted on trails, and may never be more than 100 feet from a road, picnic area, or campground.
