The Wildlife Trusts, which operate more than 2,300 nature reserves across the UK, are urging owners to keep their dogs under close control and pick up poo this summer, in an effort to protect livestock, plants, wildlife, waterways, and endangered nesting birds.
Conservationists say irresponsible dog owners who let their dogs off-lead in nature reserves during the breeding season are a growing problem, causing a disturbance to plant and animal life and upsetting finely balanced ecosystems.
Owners are being asked to keep dogs on leads of less than two metres long and stick to paths until July 31 to protect ground-nesting birds, such as nightjars, willow warblers, and meadow pipits on heathland, and oystercatchers, ringed plovers, and little terns on beaches.
In addition, owners are reminded that dogs swimming in…
