I know we all talk about cats, and occasionally dogs and the impact on wildlife, here is an article from The Mercury (Hobart), by Bob Brown (former politician and a long time Greenie - meant as a compliment).
Thread not meant to start an aggressive debate, but thought the article is worth the read
Having met Bob on a couple of occasions (through wildlife rescue), he is certainly passionate about the environment, and on this occasion I agree with his sentiment (don't always agree with all of his philosophies).
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/our-best-friend-is-a-killer/story-fnj4f64i-1227104047135
Important & recommended reading.
A good article. Domestic dogs and shoreline wildlife don't mix. On the sunshine coast many dogs are taken for a walk on the beach, mostly on leads but sometimes off-lead. 90% of their owners are caring and the dogs well behaved, but I guess its the odd dog that does the damage. Just another pressure on wildlife to add to all the others brought about by development and human presence. Generally we have made big mistakes with a lot of our shorelines, by allowing beach development without leaving room for nature. It would have been so easy to create a nature belt right around our coastline had it been done at the right time by leaders with foresight. Too late now.
How about owners of dogs on leashes wear T shirts emblazzoned with "I love Australia's shorebirds. That's why my dog is on a leash."