dogs and weedkiller sprays

Yesterday's walk in Darebin Parklands was a bit scary, because the weeds had been sprayed. I was grateful that a colored spray had been used, so we could see which areas to avoid.



But of course Penny didn't know to avoid them and I had to call her away. She seemed surprised that suddenly, after five years of walking along the same path, one side was out of bounds. But she's an obliging dog, so she obeyed me. (Note that I don't say she's an obedient dog. There's a fine difference, lol.)



Luckily there were plenty of other areas where a dog could chase balls and, after capturing them, roll on them.



Herbicides can be quite dangerous to dogs, both in the short term and in long terms effects, but an article at Dogtime says of Roundup-type (Glyphosate)sprays,

Once it's dry, the chemical has been taken down to the root of the plant and the lawn is considered dog-safe.

On the other hand, Suite 101 has an article on natural herbicides that says of Glyphosate-based herbicides:

Glyphosate, the ingredient in Roundup, is toxic to amphibians. Glyphosate is safe for use near mammals, but there is some debate as to whether it is an endocrine disruptor.

Since the parklands are home to many treasured varieties of amphibians, I don't think that would be the main ingredient of the spray used.

I guess I could keep reading more and more about herbicides and just get more worried and confused. But the bottom line is that I have faith in the rangers who look after the parklands.

And I'll make sure Penny doesn't enter the sprayed areas.