KFP dog-walker campaign

A group of volunteers met on Knaresborough Forest Park today to launch our campaign to ask dog-walkers to keep their dogs on a lead when visiting the site. We feel it is important to engage dog owners in conversation to share our reasons for this, which are also explained in our previous journal post.

We encourage dog walkers to enjoy walking on KFP, as long as they keep their dog on a lead, because:

• we have seen and heard skylarks, willow warblers and meadow pipits around the site, scouting for nesting sites;

• we also have roe deer and smaller mammals on the land which dogs might chase into the undergrowth, and injure either themselves or the wild animal.

• dog poo is classed as an environmental pollutant, because of its high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus as well as parasites and chemicals from medicines and treatments. If your dog is running off the lead, it is much harder to pick up after it;

• we intend to harvest hay from some of our fields to generate income, and we can't sell it if it is contaminated by dog poo;

• if your dog is running through long grass, it is also at risk of picking up ticks, which cause serious diseases in dogs and humans.

We have recently installed some notices around the land:

We are supported in this by North Yorkshire Council, who have recently posted a variety of signs on the same theme.

While out on the site today, we met and chatted to several dog walkers who were supportive of our campaign. One visitor said that she used to let her dog run free on our land, but once she saw the notices she understood and supported the policy and put her dog back on the lead.

We want the community to share and enjoy KFP - the more dog walkers who see other owners keeping their dog on a lead, the more the policy will become accepted practice.