Egret1
little egret
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Why Dogs should not go swimming at Foots Cray Meadows!
Word has it that one of the Five Arches Mute Swans recently killed a small dog that was swimming too close to its nest. Confirmation would be helpful. If this did happen and it would be very sad to learn of such an incident perhaps it sould serve as a warning to all users of the meadows that wildlife can be unpredicatble. Most users would probably agree that the beauty of the meadows is their wild, unrestricted, unfenced nature. The meadows are a fabulous local amenity and they are there to be shared by peolpe and wildlife, by people with children and by people with dogs! For each of those users I would suggest it is essential that mutual respect for each other must be understood and maintained and that includes respect for wildlife. Perhaps this incident, if confirmed or not, and the loss of a dog can be as heartfelt as any family loss, will serve as a reminder that the River Cray, running through the meadows and the Five Arches body of water, are very important habitats and home to a wide variety of wildlife. Disturbance of birds, fish, dragonflies and plants that are dependant on the river can have devastating effects when dogs are encouraged by owners to leap into and run around or swim in the water. How many of those owners would allow their dogs to leap into their own or families' garden ponds?
The same could be said of allowing children into the water, it can be dangerous of course - if controlled or supervised it can also be a great learning experience (unlike with dogs that are uncontrolled).
I hope the Friends of Foots Cray Meadows Committee, in their endeavours to encourage wider use of the meadows will adopt a responsible approach and perhaps use its influence to actively discourage dogs and unsupervised children entering the water.
The swan was, if the incident did happen, only doing what any parent would naturally do - protect its offspring and partner!
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16/May/2007, 12:06 pm
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Paul FFCM
kingfisher
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Re: Why Dogs should not go swimming at Foots Cray Meadows!
Hello,
It's a difficult one this. As you say, birds protecting their habitat & offspring is to be expected but then so is the nature of a dog to go happily swimming through the river.
Dogs & their owners make-up a huge number of people who use the area & seem to have so much fun with & love for the river & meadows.
I'm not sure if a practical solution could be found as you couldn't expect dogs to remain on leads in an open area like Foots Cray meadows, where they get their excercise.
But perhaps certains areas could become an place where owners are asked to put their pets on a lead. The lake, for example, where a lot of the nesting birds can be found.
It is a subject we could try and make dog walkers aware of, maybe via the Wildlife Information Centre and during our public walks?
- Paul.
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28/May/2007, 10:24 pm
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Egret1
little egret
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Re: Why Dogs should not go swimming at Foots Cray Meadows!
The area in question is a designated Local Nature Reserve with certain protection afforded to it. Hence the signs stating no dogs!
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1/Jun/2007, 5:04 pm
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FFCM Secretary
jay
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Re: Why Dogs should not go swimming at Foots Cray Meadows!
We have briefly discussed this informally and will make it an agenda item for a future meeting if the attack is confirmed.
However I have managed to miss the sign saying no dogs for 3 years (another committee member told me there was a sign) so maybe other people have too. Also without education not many of the general public would think the dog could do harm.
Therefore promoting a policy of 'dogs on leads' along the riverside might be a good idea and FFCM can hopefully educate people during the events and through the newsletters.
I rememebr you mentioning this Egret at the Bird Walk and a few people saying they control hteri dogs and stop them going in the 'lake' section so not all dog owners allow this - here's to making less of them do it!
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1/Jun/2007, 8:49 pm
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Egret1
little egret
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Re: Why Dogs should not go swimming at Foots Cray Meadows!
We are clearly talking with one voice. My first posting was to raise the profile. The sign is one of a group close to Five Arches/North cray Road side. I sent my original email to Mark Taylor who had, by coincidence put out a piece in the Bexley Bulletin. He agrees that the sign/s is/are not prominent enough and will try and get something done about it.
I also sent a copy to your Newsletter Editor for possible inclusion in the next newsletter but have not had an acknowledgement from him - but that's not unusual.
Your Chairman did acknowledge the copy I sent him.
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2/Jun/2007, 9:34 am
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Paul FFCM
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Re: Why Dogs should not go swimming at Foots Cray Meadows!
I'm certain we can start to spread the message through our next Newsletter.
I think most, if not all, dog walkers will be willing to take more care around the deeper water & nesting birds for the safety of the wildlife aswell as their own pets.
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3/Jun/2007, 3:30 pm
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johnandgillburgess
little egret
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Re: Why Dogs should not go swimming at Foots Cray Meadows!
2p would be very interested in joining the committee but I don't think that we would want her!
I feel that it is one thing to let your dog drink from the water's edge while on the lead or closely supervised [as we do] and quite another to allow or encourage them to swim or romp in the water which I agree will disturb the wild life. Having said that we must be careful not to be too 'precious' about the meadows. People go there to enjoy the suroundings and I feel that a balance must be kept, make any group feel unwanted by too many rules and regulations and problems could result, gentle education is what is required.
I was speaking to someone who said he knew the person who lost the yorkie, she is aware that it was nature taking it's course and the dog should have not worried the swan but are you aware that the has also come out of the water and attacked a labrador? I think that the swan is young and nervous of it's young but that dog could have been a child on the waters edge having a picnic or feeding the ducks. Maybe a warning next year to keep clear while the swans have young? I know, yet another notice but I would hate something to happen, the papers would love it!!!!!!
While on the subject of education, how can we make people aware that it does no favours to the wildlife to feed white bread? All it does is fill them up with food with no nutrition, encourage rats, etc and the dogs love to find it! 2p will be raising this topic in her next report as she feels strongly about it.
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14/Jun/2007, 9:53 am
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Re: Why Dogs should not go swimming at Foots Cray Meadows!
