To All the Dog Walkers In Bomere Heath....

Many dog walkers in Bomere Heath appreciate that we are all lucky to have open farmland bordering the village and use this land to walk their dogs legally and with respect to others and the environment on a daily basis.

However, a number of complaints have recently been raised by the footpath team from land owners and farmers regarding the misuse of public footpaths across fields surrounding Bomere Heath. It has been reported that some dog walkers are letting their dogs off the lead that has resulting in dogs chasing farm animals. There is a concerning amount of dog fouling in the fields containing stock. This is a serious problem not just for making the environment unpleasant for people using the footpaths but because if the dog poo contains the parasite, Neospora Caninum, it can be transferred to cattle which in turn may result in the abortion of calves. Dogs are also getting into the gardens backing onto the fields.

We would like to ask everyone to please:

• Clean up after your dog
• Your dog must be under close control at all times.
• Keep to the foothpath - this is a legal requirement, a footpath across a field does not give the user general access to the field without the landowners consent. Where a footpath enters a field there will be a way marker sign with an arrow which indicates the direction of the footpath across the field and users should make every effort to follow that direction.

Obviously there will be times when the access across some fields is difficult due to crops such as maize or wheat and then common sense should prevail and a route should be taken around the edge of the field (headland). If you are unsure of the route of a local footpath you can contact either of the following who will be glad to help:

David Groucott 07807 141443 E: [email protected]

Andy Miller M 07984 700775 E: [email protected]