Dogs on Nature Conservation Sites

Surrey Biodiversity Partnership

Position Paper Series

Dogs on Nature Conservation Sites

Background

Dog walking is one of the most popular recreational uses of nature conservation sites in Surrey. Dog walkers can be a great help in managing sites, as they often visit sites regularly, and their eyes and ears can help site managers to discourage misuse and anti-social behaviour. The vast majority of dog walkers want to do the right thing and want to care for the environment and encourage wildlife; however, they and their dogs can sometimes have unintended negative impacts on the wildlife that depend on these sites for survival.

Key issues

Dogs and rare species

Ground-nesting birds

Dogs tend to make birds nervous, and they will usually fly away if a dog approaches too closely or too quickly. This can have devastating impacts during the bird nesting season from late winter (mid February) to early autumn (September). Eggs and chicks in nests on the ground are often left unprotected by their parents if a dog approaches. Predators, such as crows and magpies, have learned on many sites that this is a perfect opportunity for a meal, and the whole nest can be lost. Because nests on the ground are usually well-hidden, most dog walkers are unaware that anything unusual has happened.

Water voles

Dogs are a serious threat to water voles through disturbance and predation. This once-common species is seriously in decline in the UK.

Ponds

Dogs can seriously degrade the biodiversity of ponds they enter by damaging the banks, causing turbidity, and introducing insecticides from flea collars and treatments into the water which can kill invertebrates. Some parks have a designated pond or a bank where dogs are allowed a dip - try to minimise disturbance and leave at least 24hours after treatments.

Dogs and farm animals

Farm animals such as cattle, sheep and ponies are an important part of the management of many of Surrey’s nature conservation sites. Grazing helps to encourage rare plants and keeps scrub from growing too much.

Most dogs are sensible around farm animals, but some, especially young and inexperienced dogs, can ‘worry’ and injure them. In recent years, several farm animals have been injured and even killed on nature conservation sites in Surrey by dogs that have chased farm animals into unsafe places. Worrying can also cause pregnant farm animals to abort the pregnancy. Poorly controlled dogs are a threat to horse-riders and road users.

Dogs are prone to injury themselves if the farm animals become defensive if a dog gets too close. Ponies and cattle can have extremely strong kicks, and all farm animals have sharp hooves. Even when well-behaved, the presence of a dog can cause farm animals with young to become defensive, and there have been rare cases of walkers being injured by farm animals trying to defend their young from dogs.

Dogs and dog mess

Dog mess is unpleasant, and causes changes in the types of plants that grow on nature conservation sites. The nutrients contained in dog mess discourage rare plants, and encourage more common ones. It is possible to train dogs to mess before the entrance to sites, or in the car park, where it is easy to see, pick-up and dispose of.

Dog Bins

Dog bins are expensive to maintain and most nature sites do not have funds for maintaining these. The cost of employing or contracting someone to service dog bins throughout the nature reserves of Surrey and carry dog mess off sites is unaffordable.

We thank owners for bagging dog mess and taking it off site to dispose of to help support the rare habitats and plant communities that thrive on naturally nutrient poor soils.

Dogs on heathland

Lowland heath is a globally threatened habitat, and Surrey holds one of the most significant areas of lowland heath in the UK, including part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area. Click here for more info: Dogs on heathland

The Countryside Code

To help address these issues, the Surrey Biodiversity Partnership asks that all dog walkers follow section 4 of the Countryside Code

• Keep dogs under close control. The countryside is a great place to exercise dogs, but it’s every owner’s duty to make sure their dog is not a danger or nuisance to farm animals, wildlife or other people.

• By law, you must control your dog so that it does not disturb or scare farm animals or wildlife. On most areas of open country and common land, known as 'access land' you must keep your dog on a short lead on most areas of open country and common land between 1 March and 31 July, and all year round near farm animals.

• You do not have to put your dog on a lead on public paths, as long as it is under close control. But as a general rule, keep your dog on a lead if you cannot rely on its obedience. By law, farmers are entitled to destroy a dog that injures or worries their animals.

• If a farm animal chases you and your dog, it is safer to let your dog off the lead – don’t risk getting hurt by trying to protect it.

• Take particular care that your dog doesn’t scare sheep and lambs or wander where it might disturb birds that nest on the ground and other wildlife – eggs and young will soon die without protection from their parents.

• Everyone knows how unpleasant dog mess is and it can cause infections – so always clean up after your dog and get rid of the mess responsibly. Also make sure your dog is wormed regularly to protect it, other animals and people.

• At certain times, dogs may not be allowed on some areas of access land or may need to be kept on a lead. Please follow any signs.

The Surrey Biodiversity Partnership encourages dog walkers to follow the Countryside Code to help protect wildlife in Surrey. More information can be found at http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/enjoying/countrysidecode/default.aspx

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