Dogs Damage Trees Don't Blame the Dogs, Blame the Owners! Damage to trees by dogs is becoming more common. It is not just young trees that are damaged and killed, old mature trees can also be killed by the dogs “ring barking” the tree and causing it to slowly die. The ring-barking probably starts with a dog chasing a squirrel on the ground, which runs to the safety of a tree. The dog will be on a mission to get that squirrel and will take its frustrations out on the tree. If not a squirrel it could be down to other dogs scent marking the trees. I can't believe owners let their dogs attack trees. I for one would be highly embarrassed to have other members of public watch my dog rip into a tree while I stood there looking on. Would culling squirrels to reduce their presence help the situation? Probably not, as there is a lot of evidence that dogs are made to intentionally damage trees by their owners. Dogs are often attached to trees by their jaws in competition to see which dog can hang on the longest!  Ring barking is the removal of the bark of a tree in a strip all the way around the trunk. In many tree species this will cause the tree to die. The reason for this is that when bark is removed the whole outer living part of the tree trunk is removed. The tree can no longer absorb the nutrients it needs from the soil and the whole tree dies. Many Council’s Are Quoting Worrying Statistics.... “We had to dig up over 240 trees that have been ripped apart by these powerful dogs”. “At least 20 trees will have to be removed from Finsbury Park, Approximately 100 trees in total have been damaged and are now at risk”. “A small park where £30K was spent on semi mature planting to create an Orchard, screening from the dual carriageway with Willow and an extra heavy standard Oak was planted to commemorate the occasion. The Oak sustained numerous bite marks from a dog and died along with 21 other trees”.
Dogs have destroyed many trees, apparently they hang dogs from low branches and bite and scratch the main stems. Any protection the council has put around the trees is soon removed. Some Council’s have trialled anti climb paint which seems successful in preventing vandals snapping tops off young trees on the highway, so they have extended this to parks and this seems to be working. They have also trialled bamboo strips and matting which does not affect the function of the tree. Vandals destroy this and you need to return and replace frequently but it diverts them from damaging the tree. Remember, intentional damage to public trees is a criminal offence. As well as being anti-social, the damage costs the Councils (and tax payers) tens of thousands of pounds a year in replacement tree planting and wasted effort. Dog owners must be aware of their responsibilities and of the harm that dog damage can cause. Damage by dogs is now probably the most harmful type of vandalism that a tree can suffer. In October 2007 “Trees for Cities” launched an awareness campaign calling for dog owners to be aware of the potentially fatal damage caused to trees by some dogs, particularly certain breeds such as Bull Terriers. Sadly, there are dog owners who are unaware of this threat to the tree and some owners even encourage their dogs to hang from branches, which they grip using their jaws, as a way of strengthening the jaw muscles. Graham Simmonds, Chief Executive at Trees for Cities, says: "Through our Bark for Bark campaign we want to raise awareness of the fatal damage that dogs can potentially inflict on trees. We know that dog owners love walking their dogs in attractive parks and woodlands and I am confident that when they realise the danger to the trees they will stop Fido sinking his fangs into the wood bark.” Please note we provide Free Estimates with No Obligation. So why not Contact Us?
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