‘Dnomnown work for our guards

Now the conservation department says dogs can be banned from the Southland catwalk unless owners learn to clean after their pets.

DOC’s operations manager Murihiku Jono Airey, said in a statement that dog feces were a long -term issue and was getting worse.

“It’s not good enough, the maintenance of the track is now dangerous and disgusting work for our Rangers.

“They return covered from head to toe in dog droppings thrown by rubber cutters. They even use face shields to protect themselves.

“You wouldn’t like anyone.”

Foveaux’s passage, part of the TEA Araroa trail, is a popular track after the Motupōhue/Bluff coast to an observation point.

Airey said hundreds of people visited daily to enjoy the Foveaux Strait, Lightthouse of Dog Island, Ruapuke Island and Rakiura/Stewart Island.

“Dogs are allowed on the track as long as they are in lead. Dogs are doing what dogs do, but unfortunately their owners are leaving behind the feces of their dogs in this precious place.”

Dog feces contained germs that could harm humans and wildlife.

Together with Kekeno/Full Marine Marine mammals and Pakake/Sea lions, the area was frequented by marine sea birds, including Tītī, Shag, Tawaki/Fiordland Penguin, Stained Oil, Kororā/Little Penguin and numerous forest bird species.

“Unless things improve, we will have to exclude dogs from our Bluff athletics network to ensure the health and safety of our forest guards, visitors and wildlife,” he said.

“Dog poop boxes are not an option for us, they encourage the tip and illegal eviction and require a level of maintenance that we cannot resources.

“People who walk inside do our waste and human waste to protect our natural environments, so we are sure that visitors of the Urban Foveaux catwalk can manage the much easier to clean work after their dogs.”

New signs will soon remember that dog walkers from their obligation would remove dog poop and Doc monitor the situation to inform decisions about future access to dogs to the track.

– APL