Each year an estimated 365,000 dog walks occur in Bushy & Richmond Park

Last year there were 90 reported incidents of dogs troubling deer. This was a year that saw a massive spike in park use due to covid and the purchase of dogs. 

But even so this only equates to a 0.03% risk of an incident of a dog troubling a deer.

Each year 90 deer are culled by Royal parks; shooting them to keep the deer population down.

Last year saw 5 incidents of dogs causing the death of a deer in both parks.

Let's do a realistic risk assessment here. We all need to work together as animal and park lovers to enjoy the park and keep everyone safe - deer, dogs, children, cyclists and runners. Let's be sympathetic to one another so we can all enjoy our beautiful parks.

The deer breeding areas can be marked on maps so as to be avoided and dogs kept on lead around these areas. We have never needed to keep dogs on leads until last year when restrictions were mostly about Covid.

This new regulation is using a sledge hammer to crack a nut.

Keeping a dog permanently on a lead in a park is like giving a child a toy and saying you can't play with it! 

Please sign if you believe we can do this a better way....