Reducing Fido's Pawprint

Wayland is a town whose residents care deeply about the natural environment. Dog owners are no exception. Wayland's abundant conservation land and recreational areas are prime and much appreciated areas preserved and/or maintained for our enjoyment. But  the increasing popularity of dog ownership -- around 2000 dogs reside in Wayland with about 1500 owners -- brings with it the potential for adverse effects to aspects of our natural environment. As dog owners, we have a special responsibility to manage our pets so as to preserve these wonderful natural resources. Please explore the resources available here for guidance about how to be a conscientious dog-owning steward of our environment.

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Conservation Area Dog Regulations

Wayland Conservation Areas
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DOGS MUST BE LEASHED OR UNDER STRICT VOICE CONTROL. NO EXCEPTIONS
NOTICE TO VISITORS WITH DOGS
In the spirit of sharing the natural resources of this conservation land with everyone and preserving its character and many purposes, please be respectful and courteous by following these rules:

• All dogs must be leashed in parking lots.
• All dogs must be leashed on prime grassland birding sites (Heard Farm, Cow Common) from May 1 to July 15 or until field mowing.
• No more than two dogs per walker may be off leash and under voice control at any time on all Wayland Conservation Lands. 
• No more than three dogs are permitted per walker.
• Keep to trails and do not permit your dogs to harass wildlife or disturb field nesting sites during nesting season at Heard Farm and Cow Common.
• Carry plastic bags with you and carry out whatever your dog leaves behind.
• Please do not allow your dog, however friendly, to approach other dogs or people, especially children. Leash your dogs when encountering others.
• Violators are subject to a $100 non-criminal penalty.

Environmental Impact of Dog Ownership

Most dog owners are unaware of the significant overall environmental impact that dogs and other pets have on the environment. The environmental impact of dogs and other pets is an increasing subject of investigation and awareness-building, not just in the U.S., but throughout the world. There are an estimated 180 million dogs in the U.S. alone.

The following are excerpts from a number of reports and studies that can help raise awareness of how important it is that we all work towards becoming environmentally sensitive dog owners.

Source: Alternet
"The Carbon Paw PrintYou consider yourself an environmentalist and are considering ditching that gas-guzzling SUV you bought a few years ago in order to reduce your carbon footprint. You might want to think of ditching Bowser instead. An average-sized dog consumes about 360 pounds of meat in a year and about 210 pounds of cereal. Taking into account the amount of land it takes to generate that amount of food and the energy used, that makes your dog quite the carbon hound. A 2009 study by New Zealand’s Victoria University of Wellington concluded that pet dogs have carbon paw prints double that of a typical SUV. John Barrett of the Stockholm Environment Institute, in York, Great Britain, confirmed the results of the New Zealand study. "Owning a dog really is quite an extravagance, mainly because of the carbon footprint of meat," Barrett told New Scientist Magazine." Source: Alternet

Source: Slate
". . .[W]hat's an eco-conscious pet owner to do? The way the Lantern sees it, there are two options worth exploring. The first is a variation on one of our cardinal rules for humans: Eat less meat. Some vegans and vegetarians put their cats and dogs on equally abstemious diets. The Lantern doesn't believe humans should be required to give up all meat, so she's not going to suggest that your pet should, either. But according to Marion Nestle—a public-health and nutrition expert who's recently been focusing her attention on pet food—the research clearly shows that dogs and cats can get all the nutrients they need from complete-and-balanced, all-veggie commercial foods. (No one has done any long-term clinical trials comparing various diet options, however.) Even if you don't want to take meat out of the equation entirely, you might be able to cut back, by replacing some of your pet's fleshy fare with grain-and-vegetable-based meals." Source: Slate

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