As January is National Walk Your Dog Month we’d like to share some information about how you can responsibly and respectfully walk your dogs on our sites.
We welcome dogs on both our Aire Valley sites and we know that lots of you enjoy walking your dogs here, but we ask that you are sensitive to our wildlife, staff, volunteers and other visitors by following our simple dog code:
· keep your dog on a short lead
· stick to paths
· dispose of your dog’s poo properly
Why should I keep my dog on a short lead?
To wildlife all dogs are predators, walking your dog on a short lead helps to minimise disturbance. During the winter when days are short and food scarce constantly moving due to disturbance means that birds (and other wildlife) can’t feed properly and it uses vital energy so may decrease their chance of survival.
It prevents dogs jumping into our lakes, ponds and other water bodies. This can disturb aquatic birds and wildlife and the insecticides that are found in dog flea treatments can pollute the water.
It helps to lessen the negative impacts of dog poo and urine as it reduces it to a smaller area.
Not everyone likes dogs and not all dogs like other dogs so keeping your dog on a short lead can help everyone have a more enjoyable experience.
Why should we stick to paths?
By everyone sticking to paths (even if not walking a dog) sensitive habitats and wildlife can be protected from disturbance. As spring approaches, we will have significant numbers of ground nesting birds returning to our sites. Birds like skylarks, lapwings, willow warblers and meadow pipits all nest on our Aire Valley sites. Dogs chasing balls or running through grass off paths can easily disturb wildlife and scare adult birds off nests and trample eggs. Vulnerable chicks can quickly die if they are left alone for too long.
Why should we properly dispose of dog poo?
Dog poo is harmful to people, wildlife and natural habitats. It adds nutrients to the soil which encourages plants to grow that out compete wildflowers and valuable plants for pollinators such as bees, butterflies, moths and other insects.
Dog poo takes many weeks to decompose and continues to pose a significant health risk to our visitors, volunteers and staff well after the dog has gone. In the last week we have found 13 dog poos in our wildflower bed outside the Visitor Centre at Fairburn Ings along with another left under a picnic bench. Bags of poo left hanging in hedges or thrown into verges around St Aidan’s mean that our wardens and volunteers have been sprayed with faeces when they are using brush and hedge cutters and strimmers.
Poo can be transferred to wheelchairs, prams, hands & feet. Please pick up the poo – bin it or take it home.
If you have left your poo bags at home, we always have a supply available in the Visitor Centre at Fairburn Ings or the Little Owl Café at St Aidan’s – just pop in and ask.