Despite clear signage, staff at the bird sanctuary in Rungstedlund in North Zealand experience loose dogs daily, and it is affecting wildlife.
According to Anne-Mette Høeg Andersen, a biologist and nature interpreter, some dog owners have difficulty following the rules when walking in Rungstedlund in North Zealand, where loose dogs are not allowed. (Photo: © Sille Langberg)
By Josephine Schack Thorsen ([email protected]) 41 minutes ago
Although there are only a few places where dogs are allowed off-leash, loose dogs are a major problem at Rungstedlund in North Zealand, which, besides Karen Blixen's author home, also houses a large bird sanctuary.
The birds perceive the dogs as predators, explains Anne-Mette Høeg Andersen, a biologist and nature interpreter at the bird sanctuary.
"When there are loose dogs, the birds are more stressed, which means they may flee the area, or it means they don't have the energy to breed or find food for their chicks," says the nature interpreter.
> "They become offended and angry, and we sometimes get yelled at"
> Anne-Mette Høeg Andersen, biologist and nature interpreter at the bird sanctuary at the Karen Blixen Museum
Frederikke Langkjær lives in the area and often goes for walks with her daughter Frida and dog Tulle. When they visited the bird sanctuary, they forgot the dog leash and had to find an alternative solution with a pair of shiny tights. (Photo: © Sille Langberg)
Staff at Rungstedlund experience loose dogs daily, even though it is clearly signposted that it is not allowed, writes Sjællandske Nyheder.
Even though Frederikke Langkjær had forgotten the leash for Tulle when she went for a walk in Rungstedlund this morning, she respects the park's rules.
"When you have a dog of this size, you also have a responsibility to ensure it is well-behaved, and of course we must protect the birds," says Frederikke Langkjær.
But Frederikke prefers to walk Tulle without a leash, so next time she passes by the bird sanctuary, it will be without the dog.
But not all dog owners respond kindly to a request to use a leash, says Anne-Mette Høeg Andersen.
"They become offended and angry, and we sometimes get yelled at. We also experience that they put the dogs on a leash, but take it off again shortly after when they can no longer see us."
The signs are placed in several locations in the park to ensure that owners do not let their dogs roam freely without a leash. (Photo: © Sille Langberg)
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Not just a problem in Rungstedlund
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And the problem with loose dogs is certainly not limited to Rungstedlund in North Zealand.
The Danish Nature Agency is aware of many examples of dog owners forgetting the leash, says Stella Blichfeldt, a nature guide at the agency.
"It happens regularly that we meet people who have been tempted to let their dogs loose, and just the scent trail of a dog can be stressful for wildlife, so letting your dog loose affects the wild fauna," says the nature guide.
However, there are also places where dogs are allowed to run freely without a leash. These include dog forests, which can be found on udinaturen.dk.
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