Dog owners in Dartmoor, the United Kingdom, are now required to keep their canines on short leads when walking them in Dartmoor National Park. This decision seeks to protect nesting wildlife and other animals, including farm livestock, that live in the park.
Dog owners must have their pups on short leads while walking them
According to BBC News, this short leash requirement will be in place until July 31, when the breeding and ground-nesting season for the birds and animals at the park will come to an end. To ensure maximum compliance with this requirement, rangers at the park have been out and about advising dog owners on the matter while distributing short leashes, among other items.
“The weekend of engagement was an important way for us to highlight the breeding season and explain that it’s a particularly vulnerable time for Dartmoor’s wildlife,” Ella Briens, deputy head ranger, told the news outlet.
The Dartmoor National Park authority emphasized that keeping dogs on short leads will help ensure that the canines don’t pose a threat to nesting wildlife. Already, birds in the park, such as Skylarks and Meadow Pipits, have started building nesting areas on the grounds. Moreover, farm animals, among them foals and lambs, are in the area too.
The problem with having unleashed dogs or keeping them on long leads is that they can easily get close to these birds and animals in the park. Consequently, this can make the birds and animals flee from their nesting spots out of fear, abandoning their young ones.
According to The Telegraph, loose dogs viciously attacked and killed farm animals in the Dartmoor National Park worth roughly £2.4 million in 2023 alone. Undoubtedly, dog attacks on the park’s wildlife, particularly during the nesting season, will decrease if dog owners keep their canines on short leads.
