@wild edges in Europe and Asia there have always been predatory cats and dogs in the wild and in human habitations. What has done more than anything to wipe out wildlife is agrichem spraying which kills indiscriminately all the way up the food chain and not always quickly, excess ploughing and lack of manuring/composting which erode soils and kill micro organisms and the draining of natural ponds and bogs to make more arable land.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
What has done more than anything to wipe out wildlife is agrichem spraying which kills indiscriminately all the way up the food chain and not always quickly, excess ploughing and lack of manuring/composting which erode soils and kill micro organisms and the draining of natural ponds and bogs to make more arable land.
Death by a thousand cuts.
Dave Goulson's new book explains this in very very depressing detail if you fancy a sobering read. It should be mandatory reading for all gardeners.
Having read a few too many books like this recently I need to find something a bit more encouraging. It might have to come from the Fantasy section though I think.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
No @wild edges I haven't but, especially over the last 18 months, I've been careful to steer clear of what I know will be too depressing and/or make me feel helpless. I do my best in my own corner of the planet and don't use any pesticides, we manure and compost as much as possible to keep the soil in good heart and we've spent a fair bit having our pond cleared of gubbins to return it to the amphibians, insects and birds that need it more than goat willow, brambles and excesses of bullrush.
Ornamental plants are chosen to give a wide range of pollen and nectar and seeds thru the year and we leave bits wild for habitat and we've been planting trees and shrubs too.
Our cats and dogs are neutered and vaccinated and our plot is fully fenced. There are safe feeders for wild birds and we do get plenty of those now with many such as sparrows, assorted tits, chaffinches, redstarts, robins, wrens, house martins and swallows nesting in greater numbers each year. i don't think the chooks are having a negative effect. In fact the sparrows that nest in the roof of their house must think it's Christmas every day - all that free straw for nesting and dibs on the hen food and clean water too.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
That there are too many cats and dogs is down to people. That there are too many people is down to people. Wild cats and dogs will have always played a role in natural ecosystems. Breeding them to excess in order to make money, either by trading them or by racing and betting on them, creates an imbalance that the natural food supply cannot support. I don't dispute any of this.
But the cats and dogs that are here now, alive now, are not responsible for their births. The chickens bred to lay eggs in cages cannot be blamed for their existence - they surely wouldn't have chosen it. We do what we can to alleviate the suffering and to try to reduce the over-population by neutering. Letting them starve on the streets will increase the impact they have on wildlife and will do nothing to avoid the next generation being born in just as many numbers as the last. Trying to find a safe and comfortable life for the ones already born is not making the over-population worse. Abandoning them would. Buying a puppy from a breeder does.
Not taking proper care of pets should be more heavily penalised - cruelty to animals often signals a cruel nature that will as readily beat a child as a dog so shouldn't be dismissed lightly. Negligence of the welfare of animals indicates lack of education, lack of empathy and signals that a person's potential is being wasted. Picking up dog poo is a very small ask as a consideration of fellow citizens. Not doing it signals disengagement from society. But who has the time to take any notice? Not Social Services, not the police. The RSPCA spend their time pursuing high profile causes that they expect will get them headlines and donations, rather than looking out for the day to day existence of the animals they claim to defend.
Our attitudes to animals tells a very sad story about our attitude to each other.
*puts soapbox away and goes to make a fuss of the greyhound under the desk*
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Not picking up poo is not related to education, social status or wasted potential. I know people with wasted potential, low education and lack of resources who are the model of good pet ownership, especially around dog poo. One such person goes around picking up other dog owners left mess when he's walking his dog.
I also know of people with significant amounts of disposable income, high level of education, high status in society and never pick up their dog's mess unless confronted. One such guy got confronted by the local head case with a big conscience. He's very environmental minded, lives on a barge, owns a dog, arranges the rehoming of dogs independently from his contacts and obsessively believes in dog owners responsibility towards their dogs. However he has a temper and knows how to use it!!!
In my experience of dog owners no single group of owner can be singled out as being irresponsible. It's the individual that's the issue like with many other societal problems. I do believe the responsible dog owners should be prepared to educate, berate and correct the irresponsible ones, when safe to do so.
When I first trained as a Veterinary Nurse over 50 years ago with a well known veterinary charity, practically the first thing I was taught was how to euthanise kittens and puppies. Necessary for some animals due to illness/disease or a kinder end to a long life ( at least they didn't have to fly to Switzerland ! ) but the majority of cases were simply due to careless owners allowing their pets to breed with no thought for the future. I don't see much change in the general attitude - either in the UK or many places elsewhere.
If you park outside the lines in our local shopping centre, you get a fine. You can try arguing that most of the lines have worn away but they don't want to listen.
Not picking up poo is not related to education, social status or wasted potential. I know people with wasted potential, low education and lack of resources who are the model of good pet ownership, especially around dog poo.
Yes, if you look back, I said I think not picking up poo suggests people who are disengaged from society - i.e. who don't care about their neighbours. Whether because they believe themselves above others or just don't care. My comment about lack of education relates to those who neglect animals. As has been pointed out on other threads, it takes very little to teach people - anyone - to care about the welfare of animals, be it pets, farm animals, wildlife, whatever. Some people are not given the chance to 'meet' and to learn the basics of providing the necessary care but those who have the opportunity will almost always respond positively. Much like giving people the chance to have a little space to grow plants.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Posts
I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I don't park like a total kn*b.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Ornamental plants are chosen to give a wide range of pollen and nectar and seeds thru the year and we leave bits wild for habitat and we've been planting trees and shrubs too.
Our cats and dogs are neutered and vaccinated and our plot is fully fenced. There are safe feeders for wild birds and we do get plenty of those now with many such as sparrows, assorted tits, chaffinches, redstarts, robins, wrens, house martins and swallows nesting in greater numbers each year. i don't think the chooks are having a negative effect. In fact the sparrows that nest in the roof of their house must think it's Christmas every day - all that free straw for nesting and dibs on the hen food and clean water too.
But the cats and dogs that are here now, alive now, are not responsible for their births. The chickens bred to lay eggs in cages cannot be blamed for their existence - they surely wouldn't have chosen it. We do what we can to alleviate the suffering and to try to reduce the over-population by neutering. Letting them starve on the streets will increase the impact they have on wildlife and will do nothing to avoid the next generation being born in just as many numbers as the last. Trying to find a safe and comfortable life for the ones already born is not making the over-population worse. Abandoning them would. Buying a puppy from a breeder does.
Not taking proper care of pets should be more heavily penalised - cruelty to animals often signals a cruel nature that will as readily beat a child as a dog so shouldn't be dismissed lightly. Negligence of the welfare of animals indicates lack of education, lack of empathy and signals that a person's potential is being wasted. Picking up dog poo is a very small ask as a consideration of fellow citizens. Not doing it signals disengagement from society. But who has the time to take any notice? Not Social Services, not the police. The RSPCA spend their time pursuing high profile causes that they expect will get them headlines and donations, rather than looking out for the day to day existence of the animals they claim to defend.
Our attitudes to animals tells a very sad story about our attitude to each other.
*puts soapbox away and goes to make a fuss of the greyhound under the desk*
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
I also know of people with significant amounts of disposable income, high level of education, high status in society and never pick up their dog's mess unless confronted. One such guy got confronted by the local head case with a big conscience. He's very environmental minded, lives on a barge, owns a dog, arranges the rehoming of dogs independently from his contacts and obsessively believes in dog owners responsibility towards their dogs. However he has a temper and knows how to use it!!!
In my experience of dog owners no single group of owner can be singled out as being irresponsible. It's the individual that's the issue like with many other societal problems. I do believe the responsible dog owners should be prepared to educate, berate and correct the irresponsible ones, when safe to do so.
Necessary for some animals due to illness/disease or a kinder end to a long life ( at least they didn't have to fly to Switzerland ! ) but the majority of cases were simply due to careless owners allowing their pets to breed with no thought for the future.
I don't see much change in the general attitude - either in the UK or many places elsewhere.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”