A bond of security. Dogs on a leash in parks

Going on a trip with your dog

Spending a day outdoors with your dog is certainly a wonderful experience. However, introducing a pet animal into a protected area poses a problem for the natural balances that a Park Authority is obliged to defend. In all Italian national and regional parks, there are limitations aimed at finding a compromise between environmental conservation needs and those of dog owners who wish to bring their four-legged friends along. Let's see why.

Rules in the Cozie Alps Protected Areas

In the Cozie Alps Parks, dogs are allowed entry as long as they are kept on a leash. With the classic exception that confirms the rule: the absolute prohibition in the most valuable area identified along the left bank of the Chisone stream in the Natural Park of Val Troncea. A clear and simple rule that does not apply to so-called working dogs, engaged in activities such as assisting people with disabilities, rescue missions, herding and livestock guarding, monitoring, and surveillance activities.

Protecting ecosystems

"As a dog owner," says park ranger Lorenzo Brino, "I completely understand the needs of dog owners. Taking your dog on a trip, watching them happily running and curiously sniffing the various scents along the trail is very exciting. But from the perspective of conservation and surveillance in a Park, I realize that our four-legged friends pose a danger to ecological balances. And often the ecosystems of a protected area can put dogs themselves at risk."

You can often see Lorenzo with Maia, a beautiful one-and-a-half-year-old Australian Shepherd, undergoing training to become an Anti-Poison Canine Unit. A fundamental resource for identifying poisoned baits that are too often used to kill both wildlife and domestic animals. Most likely, Maia will complete her training by next winter and will be ready, alongside Lorenzo, to join Luna and Gianabele, the other operational Anti-Poison Canine Units in the Cozie Alps Parks.

"Inevitably," continues Brino, "all dogs have a predatory instinct that can drive them to chase or attack a wild animal. Even the most well-behaved and gentle ones, because it is part of their nature. This should not happen in a protected area; here the goal is to protect the environment, while respecting human enjoyment. The mandatory use of a leash is therefore a fair compromise. And let's not forget that our dog friends can be carriers of diseases that could affect wildlife, in case of too close encounters."

To protect dogs and owners

Another very important aspect: the rule protects both owners and dogs.

"As a vigilance corps agent," warns Brino, "I want to emphasize that a dog owner is always legally and criminally responsible for the behavior of their dog. Beyond the environmental damage caused by a dog that injures or kills a wild animal, there is a legal aspect: that is a criminal offense. The leash is therefore a prevention tool. As a dog owner, I add that the environment in a protected area can pose a danger to companion dogs. Our friends can be harmed in close encounters with badgers, groundhogs, wild boars, vipers, or processionary caterpillars. By keeping them by our side, we drastically reduce the chances of this happening. We also limit a situation we often observe in the summer, namely attacks on companion dogs by guarding dogs protecting herds and flocks. An anti-wolf dog intervenes whenever there is a danger to livestock, even if it is an innocent little dog that has inadvertently come too close. Finally, there is the issue of self-preservation for the dog, who, during a wild chase, could get injured or even fall along the very rugged terrains often found in our territories."