Dog Walking Drones are crazy

April 1, 2017

Just in case you didn’t spot it… April Fools!

Walking your dog by drone is a very bad idea the South Downs National Park has warned today, 1 April 2017.

Andrew Lee, Countryside and Policy Director for the National Park Authority, said:
“Our Take the Lead campaign celebrates great dog owners across the South Downs. We want to make it clear that this does not include anyone walking their dog by drone. Taking the lead? That’s just taking the mickey.”

“We’re glad the owners are following our call to keep dogs under close control in the National Park but doggy drones risk disturbing wildlife and could reduce the tranquillity of these special landscapes. Not to mention one poor pooch last seen heading in the direction of the Isle of Wight…”

With over a million dogs living in the South East of England and more than 3,300km of rights of way across the National Park the South Downs welcomes many thousands of dogs for walks every day. While the vast majority of dog owners behave responsibly there are still a few that are ‘giving dogs a bad name.’

Fortunately there are just a few simple steps dog owners can follow:

Bag your dog poo and put it in the bin – it’s toxic and smells bad. Any bin will do!
Keep dogs on a lead or under close control around livestock;
Please keep dogs on a lead and stick to the paths during ground nesting bird season from 1 March-15 September;
Avoid Ministry of Defence land when the red flags are flying – keep your dog safe, find an alternative route;
Do not ever tie your dog to a drone.

Take the Lead is part of the Heathlands Reunited Project, made possible thanks to National Lottery players and a £1.45million Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant. Find out more at southdowns.gov.uk/heathlands.