Call: 01209 890029
Call: 01209 890029
Many of us will be all too aware of the scourge over recent years of plastic waste bags of dog mess littering our countryside, and will have our own tales to tell. There are times when it is difficult to know what the better environmental choice is - to pick up or to leave to biodegrade naturally. Leaving a plastic waste bag of dog mess must always be the worse choice, but with an increase of dog walking in the countryside, leaving dog mess on the ground is frequently not the best option on environmental grounds alone.
Dog fouling is already affecting fragile conservation habitats, especially those found in sand dunes and heathland, and more land is being opened up for public access after the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. Although most of us are aware of the danger of transmission of Toxicariasis from dog mess to children in playing areas, we may not be aware that it has the same lethal effect on cattle and other livestock, when dog walking on footpaths through farm land.
Preserving special places
Dog walking is a popular recreational activity, with an increasing number of walkers along coastal paths, countryside parks and more land becoming accessible through "Right to Roam". Unfortunately, acting like agricultural fertiliser, continuous deposits of dog mess change the soil conditions of the very places we prize and try to protect.
The sensitive habitat of our sand dunes provides an example of the negative impact of dog owners failing to pick up after their dogs. Dune heathland, so lovely to walk through, is especially vulnerable to the soil enrichment enrichment that occurs through dog fouling. Changes in the nutrient levels of the soil can lead to different plant vegetation types, usually in encroachment by more competitive plants such as grasses and brambles. The result can often be seen by the untrained eye in the more heavily used areas around car parks.
West Cornwall Countryside Officer, Sarah Byham, has been running the YUK campaign to persuade dog walkers in the Upton Towans Local Nature Reserve, to clean up after their dogs (www.cornwallnr.org.uk). Recent surveys at Upton Towans have shown an increase in nutrient-loving plants such as nettle and bramble which can, for the main part, be attributed to dog mess. Such changes in soil conditions and botanical composition threatens the habitat and could result in the loss of many species. (Dave Salmon, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk).
Dogs and farm land
We often look forward to walking our dogs in the open countryside, on moorland or on public footpaths through farm land. Dodging cow pats as we cross a field, we may not always think about the impact that dog mess can have in such an environment, particularly when the use by dog walkers is high. Fouling can cause serious infections in animals as well as humans. Toxicariasis is an infestation of humans, usually children, from worm larvae in dogs' intestines, which can cause blindness. However, cattle can also catch a parasitic infection from dog excrement, causing them to lose unborn calves, and sheep can suffer serious tapeworm infections. This has caused concern in our National Parks, where the landscape is maintained through stock grazing, yet can experience high levels of dog walkers.(www.lake-district.gov.uk)