Part 1-Direct Impacts One of my favorite things to do with my dogs is find a local trail and take them out for a hike. My dogs are trained with off leash e-collar system, so I often let them run if there are no other people and/or dogs around. I pretty much make them stick to the trail, and always keep them within eyesight. Luckily we have never run into a wild animal while on the trail, however, the mere presence of dogs can have direct and indirect impacts on local wildlife populations1. In this post I will explore the different ways our pets, primarily cats and dogs, can impact…