Dog lead requirement under discussion

Dogs must now be kept on a lead in woods and forests between 1st April and 31st July. This is largely due to pressure from neighbouring cantons.

Just a few years ago, the Zug Cantonal Council (Kantonsrat) didn’t want to consider a dog lead requirement of any kind when discussing a law regarding dogs. In the first reading of the partial revision of the introductory law to the Federal Forest Law (Bundesgesetz über den Wald), however, the Zug parliament now wants to introduce a temporary lead requirement for dogs, contrary to the proposal of the government (Regierungsrat). Specifically, during the game breeding season between 1st April and 31st July.

Dogs are an emotional subject. This was also evident in the debate last Thursday. From “Let the dogs run free” to “Dogs should always be on a lead”, the opinions on the topic were diverse. And the problem is apparently so large that other, equally important questions have been pushed into the background. For example, the question of who is responsible for the measures in forest stream control. Stream protection measures are structural measures intended to eliminate, reduce and control hazards. Until now, this has been done in consultation between the Department of the Interior and the Civil Engineering Office of the Building Directorate (Tiefbauamt).

Minor measures of up to CHF 10,000 in forest stream development can now be regulated via forestry legislation. Which means that everything in this area basically remains the same. The process has simply become little easier.

According to the Zug cantonal parliament, dogs must be on a lead in the forest or on the edge of the forest between 1st April and 31st July         Photo: Martin Ruetschi

Or regarding bikers: in future, they should only be allowed to ride on the forest paths and roads listed in the structural plan (Richtplan). But the above-mentioned structural plan is still being developed. The Director of the Interior, Andreas Hostettler, is convinced that it should be completed by the second reading of the Forest Act, probably next January. Nevertheless, a solution via a transitional provision will probably emerge at the second reading.

Game animals must be protected during the breeding season
As expected before the deliberations, the discussion about the temporary dog lead requirement proposed by the preliminary advisory commission turned into a debate of emotions.

Stéphanie Horat (Zug, née Vuichard before she married) explained that the ALG group (Alternative, Left, Green party) supports the requirement that dogs should be kept on a lead during the breeding season for deer and the breeding season for birds, i.e., from 1st April to 31st July. “This is a particularly sensitive time for wildlife. Too much stress from stray dogs can cause animals to avoid forest areas and this thereby restricts their habitat.” It was unanimously undisputed that the breeding season for game animals was a sensitive period, and should generally pass without any undue disruption.

That is the only valid argument for a temporary leash requirement, however. Because it’s not the case that dog owners from neighbouring cantons, who are already subject to such a regulation, are increasingly visiting the canton of Zug in order to be able to let their dogs run free at precisely this time, nor is it the case that free-running dogs are causing massive damage to the wild animal population.

More game animals are actually run over
The preliminary advisory commission has clarified how many game animals are killed by dogs. “In the canton of Zug, between zero and five deer per year were found to have been killed by dogs in the last ten years,” says the report. This is unfortunate, but it's a minor problem compared to the around 50 wild animals that are run over in the canton of Zug every year.

Mitte party Cantonal Councillor Benny Elsener (Zug) had problems with the fact that all those who had their animals under control were being punished because of a few unreasonable dog owners. “The general suspicion that dogs are dangerous is not enough to require a lead being imposed on everyone,” says Benny Elsener. He thereby agreed with the government's proposal to completely waive the lead requirement.

The government council proposed to waive the lead requirement. But dogs in and on the edge of the forests and woods must be kept “within sight and under supervision, so that they can be called back at any time and do not harass or endanger people or animals.”

Pressure from the neighbouring cantons
It has been argued on various occasions that, without a temporary lead requirement, the canton of Zug would become an island. Neighbouring cantons such as Zurich or Lucerne have a temporary lead requirement, and the canton of Schwyz even has a general one. Or as FDP (Federal liberal party) parliamentary group leader Michael Arnold said after an appeal from the SVP (Swiss People’s party) to liberal sentiments: “It's just the way it is, we are forced to react. Why should we keep this law liberal for everyone else?"

The argument of the SVP faction that compliance with any regulations that may have been issued would have to be monitored could not be completely dismissed, however. Which in turn would cause additional costs. That's why the group is following the government's proposal, because it is roughly cost-neutral. The parliament saw things differently, however, differently and, by a vote of 51 to 24, called for the introduction of a temporary dog lead requirement.