This week sees the official launch of Coast and Country Canines, a Bird Aware Solent initiative designed to encourage and empower dog owners to walk in a wildlife aware way.
Shona Jenkins, our Dog Initiatives Officer tells us all about the project:
Coast and Country Canines is all about championing behaviours that benefit dogs, wildlife, and other coast and countryside users, helping everyone have safe, enjoyable walks.
Through the free resources on the Coast and Country Canines website, in person events and social media, we hope to build a community of dog walkers who have the tools and knowledge to walk responsibly.
Dogs are such an important part of our lives, and a daily walk is a chance to bond, relieve stress and make the most of our amazing natural spaces. Putting dogs at the forefront, we look to celebrate owners who are doing the right thing, and set an example to others, showing that dog owners can be a part of the solution.
Positive change can be most effective when it happens on a community level, and behind Coast and Country Canines we are dog owners and lovers ourselves, so we aim to approach dog owners in this mindset, finding common ground and aims.
We also want to reach out to the wider community of dog industry professionals, including dog trainers, behaviourists, vets and dog walkers, to make sure that we are giving the best advice and coming up with solutions that work for all of us.
Whether they are interested in protecting wildlife on their walks, looking for a new place to walk or need some tips on recall, we hope that dog owners around the Solent will find something of interest on the new Coast and Country Canines website and we look forward to seeing them online and at future events.
