Why leashing your dog is so important!

I think it’s safe to say, spring has sprung.  The trees have broken bud, Dutchman’s Breeches and Shooting Stars are on full display in the woodlands of southern Wisconsin, and the May Apples are punching through the forest floor.  To me, spring has always symbolized the start of a new year, and new beginnings.  Perhaps nothing captures this more than the abundant wildlife that call our parks home.  Over the next three months, there will be untold numbers of mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles bringing new life into the world, somewhere in a secrete corner of one of our many parks.  Sometimes feet away from a well-used trail.  Foxes with a den of kits, turkeys sitting on a nest in a prairie, or fawns frozen on the side of a park trail are a few of the many diverse species that call our parks home.    IMGP9873 - Copy

It's during this time that we want to remind all our park users that ALL dogs need to be on a leash no longer than 6' any time they are in a Jefferson County Park.   Though our County Park leash laws are in effect year-round, it is imperative that during the spring and early summer we do all that we can to protect our wild spaces from the intrusion of unleashed dogs.   There are untold studies that demonstrate the negative impact off leash dogs have on species distribution, reproductive success, and other stresses that cause them to avoid or leave and area.  This includes the friendliest and most well-behaved dogs out there.  Please, respect the wildlife that resides in our parks and along our trails so that everyone who visits has an opportunity to experience the wildlife that call our parks home.   

Take only pictures, leave only Footprints.  Happy Spring all!! 

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