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Regulations fail to constrain dog space use in threatened species beach habitats
journal contribution
posted on 2020-05-11, 00:00 authored by Thomas Schneider, G S Maguire, Desley WhissonDesley Whisson, Mike WestonMike WestonThe management of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) in natural areas is controversial and more effective policy and management is required. We examine the occurrence and space use by dogs on southern Australian sandy beaches in different dog-leashing zones. We observed the people and dogs, and compliance with regulations. GPS loggers determined the space use by dogs (n=161). Existing dog-leashing zones had no influence on the space use by dogs, and this related to poor compliance with dog-leashing rules (69.7% of 188 dogs observed at “on-leash” beaches were “off-leash”). Dogs moved up to 33km, at maximum speeds of up to 19 km h−1, during beach visits. Larger dogs occupied slightly more space. Overall, off-leash dogs were frequent regardless of prevailing dog-leashing regulations and these did not constrain the space use by dogs. Current regulations appear ineffective, and alternatives such as “no-dog” zones to replace “leash-only” zones warrant investigation.
History
Journal
Journal of environmental planning and managementVolume
63Issue
6Pagination
1022 - 1036Publisher
Taylor & FrancisLocation
Abingdon, Eng.Publisher DOI
ISSN
0964-0568eISSN
1360-0559Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2019, Newcastle UniversityUsage metrics
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