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Pet dogs are not inherently “horrible,” but owning and walking them can affect wildlife, water, soil, land use and emissions through several distinct pathways. A perspective review by Philip W. Bateman and Lauren N. Gilson, published April 10, 2025 in Pacific Conservation Biology, brings together evidence on predation, disturbance, scent, waste, parasite chemicals and pet-food production. It is a synthesis of earlier studies—not a new experiment showing that every dog harms every ecosystem.
What the 2025 paper actually examined
“New Research Finds That Dogs Are Incredibly Horrible” was a headline for a Futurism article about Bateman and Gilson’s review, Bad dog? The environmental effects of owned dogs (31(3), PC24071). The paper considers owned companion and working dogs that are usually under human control. It does not claim to measure one universal impact for all dogs, breeds or habitats, and it is not primarily about free-roaming or semi-feral dogs.
The authors describe owned dogs as the world’s commonest large carnivore and argue that their environmental effects are extensive and varied. Their review is available through the paper’s DOI: 10.1071/PC24071.
Which environmental pathways are involved?
These mechanisms should not be treated as one single effect. A dog chasing a shorebird, a dog’s scent changing wildlife behavior, and the emissions associated with producing its food are different pathways with different evidence and remedies.
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| Pathway | What the review describes | What changes the outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Predation and chasing | Dogs can kill wildlife or pursue it, with shorebirds receiving particular attention in the review. | Leash rules, habitat, season, dog behavior and the species present. |
| Presence and disturbance | Wildlife may flee, avoid feeding or abandon areas when dogs—or people walking dogs—are present, even when a dog is leashed. | Species sensitivity, distance, frequency of visits and habitat type. |
| Scent | Odors left by dogs can continue to signal risk after the animal has left. | How long scent persists and how local wildlife responds. |
| Faeces and urine | Waste can affect plants and water and may carry pathogens relevant to wildlife. | Amount, accumulation, rainfall, drainage and local wildlife and soil conditions. |
| Ectoparasite treatments | Chemicals used on dogs can wash off when treated animals enter waterways. | The product’s active ingredients, timing, dilution and receiving waterway. |
| Pet-food production | Growing, processing and transporting dog food use land and freshwater and generate emissions. | Ingredients, production system, processing, packaging and feeding amount. |
How dogs disturb wildlife without touching it
Chasing and direct killing
Loose dogs can catch or injure animals, while chasing alone can interrupt feeding, nesting or resting. The review highlights shorebirds but discusses direct killing and disturbance of multiple species. A local result cannot automatically be generalized to every park: species, habitat, season and dog access determine exposure.
Leashes do not eliminate disturbance
A leashed dog is less able to pursue wildlife, but its presence—and the presence of a person moving with it—can still cause birds and mammals to leave an area. Repeated displacement may matter even when no animal is caught, particularly where safe feeding or nesting sites are scarce.
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Effects can outlast the walk
The review also summarizes evidence that wildlife may respond to lingering dog scent. Urine and faeces remain after a dog has gone, so a cleared trail is not necessarily an impact-free trail immediately afterward.
Why dog waste matters
Faeces and urine are the most visible part of this issue and the easiest for owners to address. The review discusses potential water pollution, effects on vegetation and transmission of zoonoses to wildlife. Risk depends on local conditions; one deposit is not equivalent to a measured ecosystem collapse, but repeated deposits in heavily used areas can accumulate.
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Bateman’s practical advice, as quoted in coverage of the review, was blunt: “If nothing else,” he noted, “pick up your own dog shit.” Carry bags on every walk, remove waste from paths and verges, and use the disposal system required by your local authority. The evidence here does not establish that any particular bag material, brand or “biodegradable” claim is environmentally superior, so choose a bag that you will use reliably and dispose of correctly.
What pet food has to do with environmental impact
A dog’s footprint extends beyond the park. The review includes the pet-food supply chain because producing ingredients and processing food can require land and freshwater and create greenhouse-gas emissions. Bateman and Gilson’s paper does not present a new, universal per-dog footprint. Environmental effects vary with ingredients, farming and fishing practices, manufacturing, packaging and how much food an individual dog needs.
How many dogs are involved?
Bateman and Gilson report estimates of approximately 90 million pet dogs in the United States, 12 million in the United Kingdom and 6 million in Australia, plus more than one billion owned dogs worldwide. These are estimates cited in their 2025 review, not a new 2026 census. The authors distinguish owned dogs from free-roaming dogs, whose numbers are harder to measure through household ownership surveys.
What can responsible owners do?
- Follow local leash and seasonal access rules. These restrictions are intended to keep dogs away from sensitive wildlife, nesting areas and other protected zones.
- Keep your dog from pursuing animals. Reliable recall and reward-based training can reduce chasing; do not assume a friendly dog will stop once wildlife runs.
- Pick up every deposit. Seal waste and place it in the appropriate bin rather than leaving it on a trail or beside water.
- Keep dogs out of waterways after topical treatments. Follow the product label and veterinary advice about swimming and bathing, especially near streams, ponds and wetlands.
- Choose walking routes thoughtfully. Stay on designated paths and give wildlife space instead of approaching for a closer view.
- Discuss food choices with a veterinarian. Feed the amount your dog needs, avoid unnecessary waste and consider the environmental information that is actually documented for a food rather than assuming a marketing label proves lower impact.
Does this mean dogs are bad for people or nature?
No. The paper’s argument is about environmental effects, not a moral verdict on dogs or their owners. Futurism quotes Bateman noting a possible balancing benefit: walking a dog can bring people outdoors and may make them feel more protective of the environment. That observation is not a quantified offset for ecological harm, and the review does not establish a single intervention package that makes every dog’s impact negligible.
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What the review can—and cannot—prove
- It can show that owned dogs have several plausible and documented impact pathways across different studies and settings.
- It cannot show that every owned dog causes every listed effect, or that one pathway is universally the largest.
- Specific claims about a species, location, pollutant concentration or population change require the underlying study for that case.
- The population figures are cited estimates, not current headcounts.
The useful conclusion is therefore practical rather than sensational: dogs can disturb wildlife and add environmental pressure, but the size and type of impact depend on where, how and how often dogs are kept, walked, treated and fed. Owners can reduce the most immediate risks by preventing wildlife pursuit, respecting access rules and removing waste.
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