Dogs, owners to learn how to help wildlife

It is easy to stop a walk on the beach with the dog becoming a biodiversity disaster, the Department of Conservation says.

As part of Conservation Week, the department is holding a "dog's day out" at St Clair from 11-30am-12.30pm on Sunday to talk to dog owners and leave them with some "easy messages" about being better prepared for the beach.

As well as playing games, people will learn how to walk their dogs on beaches safely so they do not interfere with wildlife.

Department of Conservation ranger Jess Triscott said one of the rules was to remember to keep 20m away from wild animals.

"If you see wildlife on the beach, keep that distance.

"One easy way to do that is to keep on the wet sand."

Wildlife tended to keep to dry dunes, she said.

Uncontrolled dogs on beaches had led to many wildlife casualties.

Last week, a small dog was captured on video attacking a protected fur seal in North Canterbury.

"Between 2010 [and] 2015 we had nine yellow-eyed penguins killed by dogs."

With wildlife numbers rapidly declining, it was important to know each individual life was very important for the species, she said.

Aquinas College residents would be volunteering at the event and the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital would be there with Meg the dog.

Conservation Week was a response to the "biodiversity crisis" New Zealand faced, Ms Triscott said.

In New Zealand, there were about 4000 species either threatened or endangered and public messages were needed to help improve their conservation.