On 11 November 2010 Ramblers Office issued this news item.

Ramblers and dog walkers unite to protect the British stroll

The Kennel Club has joined forces with Britain’s walking charity to urge local authorities to protect local footpaths and the well-loved British stroll with the dog.

As a nation of dog lovers we made a billion walking trips to the natural environment last year with our furry friends in tow¹, but recent budget cuts to local authorities may threaten the very ground we walk our dogs on. In order to make savings, many local authorities are considering drastically cutting their rights of way budgets by 50% and more, as some are making their entire Rights of Way team redundant. This means there will be far less people working to keep footpaths clear and easy to use, with fewer resources to do so.

The areas where we walk our dogs are often well-used and popular footpaths but the increased pressures of concentrated use means that their maintenance is vital. Just like well-used roads need to be repaired more frequently, so too do our favourite footpaths. Such drastic cuts to Rights of Way departments will lead to footpaths becoming unwalkable, making the simple British tradition of a stroll with the dog an obstacle course rather than a pleasure.