The Federal Anti Dog Agency

Banning Dogs is just another reason to despise the misguided beauracrats at the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Dogs will no longer be allowed in the national wildlife refuges of Ninigret, in Charlestown, and Sachuest Point, in Middletown, and the refuge on Block Island will probably follow suit, an official of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said yesterday.

The decision to ban dogs, effective April 4, stems from concerns that dogs disturb the nests of birds, alarm park visitors, and leave feces throughout the refuges.

The ban means the 408-acre Ninigret and the 242-acre Sachuest Point refuges now join the John H. Chafee and Trustom Pond refuges in Narragnasett and South Kingstown as those that do not allow dogs.

He said that nests have been harmed by dogs, with some birds abandoning ground nests altogether after dogs have visited them. A primary goal for the state's refuges is to manage shrub and grassland -- lands that are popular breeding grounds for wild turkeys and woodcocks, whose nests are easily disturbed by dogs, he said.

Its ironic that this would happen in a refuge named for John Chafee since I can't believe either he or his son would ever approve of such an awfully overbroad regulation. I mean, doesn't a pooper scooper and leash law take care of this problem, entirly. Combined with some hefty fines, I cant image the need for it.

At one time the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considered allowing dogs on leashes, but that plan was scrapped after officials expressed concern that many dog owners would not keep their dogs leashed. Between 25 percent and 40 percent of dog owners who visit the refuges currently do not keep their dogs on leashes, according to staff.

Yeah, but see, the problem is without a leash law no one is going to leash their dog. How the hell can they derive an idea on how many will break the law (from an otherwise older and law abiding population) when the sample they are looking at is in 100% accordance with the law. Wouldn't a trial run be in order? Maybe some more extensive polling or survey results? An educational campaign? Oh, thats right, I forgot these are the same assholes who closed Moonstone Beach (a local nude beach) because they feared that naked bathers would have a romp in the dunes and disturb nests. . . . not that there was EVER a problem with this in the past.

Just another reason to disband this needless and unconstitutional, hairtrigger arm of the federal beauracracy and return these lands to the states and/or private citizens.