Domestic Dogs Blamed for ‘Extensive and Multifarious’ Impact on Environment, Climate Change

A new paper published by academics in Australia suggests that, in addition to being man’s best friend for millennia, dogs are contributing to climate change and wreaking havoc on the ecology around us. The study says dogs are degrading the soil, threatening wildlife, decimating aquatic ecosystems, and contributing as much greenhouse gases as a land area twice the size of the United Kingdom.The report in Pacific Conservation Biology, entitled, “Bad dog? The environmental effects of owned dogs,” compiles and reviews existing studies on canines and their effect on the planet and other animals.“As the commonest large carnivore in the world, the environmental impacts of owned dogs are extensive and multifarious: they are implicated in direct killing and disturbance of multiple species, particularly shore birds,” reads an abstract of the report, “but also their mere presence, even when leashed, can disturb birds and mammals, causing them to leave areas where dogs are exercised.”One study referenced in the report, from the Australia Zoo wildlife hospital, said dog attacks were found to have been among the highest cause of deaths of animals brought to the facility after being rescued by humans. Penguins are particularly susceptible to danger when they come across an unleashed dog. The report points out that such incidents likely contributed to the collapse of an entire colony in Tasmania.Studies in America documented how wildlife such as deer, foxes, and bobcats often stay away from areas in the wild where dogs are allowed to roam to avoid violent interactions.It’s not just the mere presence of dogs that affects the environment, however. The insecticide-laden flea and tick medications owners apply to their canine’s coat can pollute bodies of water when washed away and even kill aquatic invertebrates, and fecal matter left behind can harm soil and the growth of plants.“To a certain extent we give a free pass to dogs because they are so important to us… not just as working dogs but also as companions,” the report’s lead author, Bill Bateman, a professor with Curtin University, told Mother Jones magazine.The report also blames dogs — or at least production of the food consumed by domestic ones — for having an outsized carbon footprint that may be contributing to climate change. It cites a 2020 study suggesting that the dry pet food industry emits as much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases as an area of land equal to the United Kingdom.The co-authors of the report conclude that the damage caused to various environments is also due to the “lax or ununiformed behavior” of owners, in addition to their large numbers across the globe. “A lot of what we’re talking about can be ameliorated by owners’ behavior,” Mr. Bateman said. “Maybe, in some parts of the world, we actually need to consider some slightly more robust laws.”

Domestic Dogs Blamed for ‘Extensive and Multifarious’ Impact on Environment, Climate Change

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