Regulations fail to constrain dog space use in threatened species beach habitats

Schneider, Thomas J.; Maguire, Grainne S.; Whisson, Desley A.; Weston, Michael A.

doi:10.1080/09640568.2019.1628012

Cited by 20 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Furthermore, dogs use an important proportion of each of the beaches and areas free of dogs were scarce. Based on the evidence presented, we can ascertain that the presence of dogs at sandy beaches of southern Chile is generalized, as reported in other areas of the world [ 52 , 53 , 54 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

“…Nevertheless, the existence of regulation by itself does not guarantee behavioral changes in society. In fact, evidence from other areas of the world suggests that even when there are leash laws, these are not followed by an important proportion of visitors to natural areas [ 15 , 54 , 68 , 69 ]. Therefore, we follow Miller et al [ 70 ] in suggesting that a better understanding of the factors that drive dog-management decisions among owners is fundamental to reduce the impact of dogs on natural ecosystems.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Widespread Presence of Domestic Dogs on Sandy Beaches of Southern Chile

Cortés

Navedo

Silva‐Rodríguez

2021

Animals

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Dogs on sandy beaches are a threat to shorebirds. Managing this problem requires understanding the factors that influence the abundance of dogs in these ecosystems. We aimed to determine the proportion of beaches used by dogs and the effects of human presence on dog abundance on sandy beaches of southern Chile. We conducted dog counts and recorded the presence of tracks on 14 beaches. We used zero-inflated generalized linear mixed models to determine if the number of people, number of households, and other covariates were associated with dog abundance. We detected dog tracks on all the beaches, and dog sightings on most of them. Dogs were frequently not supervised (45%) and only 13% of them were leashed. The number of people on the beach and the number of houses near the beach were positively associated with the number of dogs on beaches. Finally, when dogs co-occurred with whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus), the probability of dog harassment was high (59%). Our work reveals that human presence determines the abundance of dogs on sandy beaches. Therefore, our study suggests that any strategy aiming at reducing dog harassment of shorebirds requires changes in those human behaviors that favor the presence of free-ranging dogs at beaches.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Widespread Presence of Domestic Dogs on Sandy Beaches of Southern Chile

Cortés

Navedo

Silva‐Rodríguez

2021

Animals

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“…2009, Schneider et al . 2019). Nevertheless, there is a lack of evidence on the impact of dogs on wildlife, which is often used by dog‐friendly groups lobbying against pet control in natural areas (Banks & Bryant 2007, Maguire et al .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is estimated that 20-30% of households have dogs as pets (Ioja et al 2011). The habit of walking unleashed dogs is a phenomenon that occurs worldwide, even in places with laws and regulations that prohibit this activity (Williams et al 2009, Schneider et al 2019. Nevertheless, there is a lack of evidence on the impact of dogs on wildlife, which is often used by dogfriendly groups lobbying against pet control in natural areas (Banks & Bryant 2007.…”

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confidence: 99%

Four‐legged foes: dogs disturb nesting plovers more than people do on tourist beaches

Gómez‐Serrano

2020

Ibis

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Recreational activities in nature have increased considerably in recent decades. Human disturbance may trigger similar trade‐offs in birds that the natural risk of predation generates on productivity through parental investment decisions. To estimate how the impact of human presence affects breeding birds on Mediterranean beaches, the behaviour of incubating Kentish Plovers Charadrius alexandrinus was studied in relation to the approach of people, vehicles and dogs. Observational data were collected and control experiments were performed with a standardized stimulus. The response variability of birds in the decision to flush from the nest was studied depending on the type of beach user, the location of the disturbance event and thermal stress. Walkers, when accompanied by dogs, flushed plovers 93.8% of the time when walking through dunes and 80.0% of the time when walking on paths, whereas pedestrians alone flushed plovers 47.6% of the time when in dunes and only 12.9% of the time when on paths. Lone dogs triggered a flushing response 100% of the time when they roamed the dunes and 50% on the shore. The number of users in each disturbance event did not affect the flushing behaviour. Nest return times were shorter on disturbed beaches, suggesting habituation to the human disturbance stimulus. The ambient temperature for the nests in which plovers flushed was lower and nest return time decreased proportionally with ambient temperature, both suggesting that habituation to the human disturbance stimulus encourages relaxation of the trade‐off between escape behaviour to avoid predation risk and the effects of thermal stress on unattended eggs. Females flushed more frequently (57.1%) than males (32.0%), suggesting that they may perceive risk differently. Establishing buffers between nesting areas and people may help birds habituate to the predictable and non‐lethal stimulus of human presence, facilitating coexistence between conservation and recreation.

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“…In an increasing number of places, however, owners are expressly forbidden from letting their dogs roam free—not only in residential areas but also in natural areas and the wider countryside—and active enforcement of such regulations occurs, albeit to different degrees (e.g. Miller, Ritchie, & Weston, ; Parsons et al, ; Schneider, Maguire, Whisson, & Weston, ).…”

Section: Applying the Lawmentioning

confidence: 99%

Domestic cats and their impacts on biodiversity: A blind spot in the application of nature conservation law

Trouwborst

McCormack

Camacho³

2020

People and Nature

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Free‐ranging domestic cats Felis catus, from owned pets to feral cats, impact biodiversity through predation, fear effects, competition, disease and hybridization. Scientific knowledge regarding these impacts has recently increased, making it timely to assess the role of nature conservation legislation in this connection. We do so with particular regard to the obligations of governments around the world under international wildlife law. First, we provide an overview of current knowledge, based on a literature review, concerning the ways in which domestic cats impact wildlife; the resulting effects on native species’ populations and ecosystems; and available strategies for addressing these issues. In light of this knowledge, using standard legal research methodology, we then identify and interpret relevant legal instruments, with a particular focus on international wildlife treaties. Lastly, we identify and assess factors that may influence the implementation of relevant obligations. The outcomes of this analysis indicate that numerous legal obligations of relevance to free‐ranging domestic cats already apply under global treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on Migratory Species and World Heritage Convention, and a range of regional legal instruments for biodiversity conservation. Of particular significance are obligations concerning (a) invasive alien species; (b) protected areas and (c) protected species. Many national authorities around the world are currently required, under international law, to adopt and implement policies aimed at preventing, reducing or eliminating the biodiversity impacts of free‐ranging domestic cats, in particular by (a) removing feral and other unowned cats from the landscape to the greatest extent possible and (b) restricting the outdoor access of owned cats. Factors that can influence or impair the application of these obligations include considerations of feasibility, scientific uncertainty, the interests of cat owners and the (perceived) interests of domestic cats themselves. Even if such factors may to some extent explain why many authorities have hitherto failed to take effective action to address the threats posed by free‐ranging domestic cats, from a legal perspective these factors provide little ground for justifying non‐compliance with international wildlife law. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

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Regulations fail to constrain dog space use in threatened species beach habitats

Cited by 20 publications

References 57 publications

Widespread Presence of Domestic Dogs on Sandy Beaches of Southern Chile

Widespread Presence of Domestic Dogs on Sandy Beaches of Southern Chile

Four‐legged foes: dogs disturb nesting plovers more than people do on tourist beaches

Domestic cats and their impacts on biodiversity: A blind spot in the application of nature conservation law

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