By CHRIS DRAKE
I think nearly every Canadian has had a special dog in their life.
Mine was Thor, a lumbering and loyal black Lab with a stubby tail and terrible gas. We got him when I was 10, and he was my best buddy for a decade. He came with me on my morning Province paper route, we played in the park every afternoon, and I think some of my friends actually preferred his company to mine.
So this isn’t an anti-dog or anti-dog owner article, but rather an argument for controlling dogs when walking in nature reserves. I never thought about how Thor’s presence affected the wildlife and water as we played, but with so many more people and dogs on the landscape, and fewer intact natural areas, it seems that the impact of off-leash dogs should be addressed.
And note that nature reserves are different from parks: they are privately-owned parcels of land that have been purchased by or donated to conservancies for the purpose of protecting nature and ecosystem services, and though walkers are welcome in most they are expected to keep to the trails, control dogs and remove poop.
In 2022, 39 per cent of Canadian households had dogs, approximately 7.9 million in total, and they all have to walk. Remember, dogs are apex predators, and even if their owner believes they are in control, any prey species will not take that risk. One study found dog-walking in a forest led to a 35 per cent reduction in bird diversity. Another study indicated lower deer numbers within 100 metres of a trail, and fewer small mammals within 50 metres of a trail.
On Salt Spring, farmers have had livestock killed by dogs and a popular Burgoyne Bay trail had to be closed due to an aggressive dog pack.
Dogs impact water quality in a variety of ways. Their waste introduces high levels of nitrogen into natural ecosystems that alters soil chemistry and pollutes water sources through run-off and percolation. This can be significant when you consider that the average dog produces 1,000 kg of feces and 2,000 litres of urine in their life. When dogs swim in lakes, creeks and wetlands, fragile amphibian and insect eggs are destroyed, sediments are often stirred up and bacteria levels can increase. Also, and somewhat surprisingly, flea medicine applied to fur washes off and is highly toxic to aquatic invertebrates.
Dogs are wonderful creatures, and their owners get incredible, heartwarming benefits from having them in their life. But everyone on a public trail has the right to peace and interaction with wildlife. And the only way humans and the rest of nature will have clean water in the future is if watersheds and wetlands are kept as healthy as possible. Be they Fluffy, Fido or Thor, let’s give our four-legged friends love and exercise while also keeping the rest of wildlife in our hearts.
Please honour the information on signage in nature reserves. Keep to the trails with your dog on leash, and clean up after your pooch.
The above piece was submitted on behalf of the Salt Spring Island Water Preservation Society board of directors.