New Curtin University research into the overlooked environmental impact of pet dogs has found far-reaching negative effects on wildlife, ecosystems and climate. While ecological damage caused by cats has been extensively studied, the new research found dogs, as the world’s most common large carnivores, present a significant and multifaceted environmental threat.
You might think it’s harmless for your dog to chase wildlife if it never manages to catch the animals it chases, but that isn’t true. Wild animals optimise their behaviours to meet their needs for foraging, breeding and resting, and being chased by a dog can disrupt this.
For example, certain threatened bird species will nest on the beach and find foraging opportunities based on the tides. One dog forcing one bird to abandon this important activity may have a small impact. But if it happens repeatedly throughout the day, it can become a much bigger problem. It may even drive animals out of the area.
Research conducted in Sydney has shown the mere presence of a leashed dog is enough to temporarily, yet dramatically, reduce the number of bird species detected.
As well as predatory behaviour like chasing wildlife, dogs leave scents, urine and faeces, which can disrupt animal behaviour long after the dogs have left,” Associate Professor Bateman said.
Studies have found that animals like deer, foxes and bobcats in the US are less active or completely avoid areas where dogs are regularly walked, even in the absence of the dogs.
As the human population rises, so will the number of dogs, and this problem could get worse. Of the around 200 species said to be threatened by feral and free-ranging dogs, 30 are classed as critically endangered, 71 endangered, and 87 vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of at-risk species.
Mangled terribly after being attacked by a dog, Bruzer the koala slowly makes a comeback at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital.