Dartmouth Hiking Trails Becoming Littered With Dog Waste

The SouthCoast region has so many great hiking, biking, and walking trails that are going to waste – literally.

Many area trails are pet friendly, allowing dog owners to bond with their animals in the great outdoors rather than Rover being cooped up in the house while his humans are out enjoying nature.

That's a good thing for both.

DNRT Ocean View Farm Reserve

Too often, pet owners fail to clean up after their furry friends while in the wild, creating an unsightly and potentially unhealthy problem for others.

The Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust (DNRT) recently posted a message on its Facebook page lamenting the conditions some pets and their humans are leaving for others.

Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust

"While out at DBW (Destruction Brooks Woods), our Land Steward used the Poo-lution app to track how many piles of dog waste were left on the trails," the post states. "She found 42!"

"Please, folks, pick up after your dog. Don't ruin the hiking experience for others. We don't like looking at it and we certainly don't like stepping in it," DNRT posted.

Barry Richard/Townsquare Media

DNRT posted an article to its website in February 2022 asking pet owners to better control their dogs while walking on its trails. Author Leah McFarland cited "an increase in irresponsible dog walking" reminding dog owners and walkers that they are "legally responsible for their dog's behavior while on DNRT reserves."

There are specific "Dog Rules" and some restrictions for DNRT properties that are posted on the DNRT website. There are also some helpful phone numbers should there be an incident involving an animal.

I would hate to see the DNRT have to ban dogs from its properties, so perhaps folks could cooperate with the rules and clean up after their animals.

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Filed Under: Dartmouth, Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust

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