A Dartmoor livestock protection officer is reminding residents in Tavistock and the surrounding areas that a local trough is a water source for animals on the moor and is not to be used by dogs for bathing.

The water trough is located on Whitchurch Down, off Down Road near Tavistock Golf Club on the edge of Dartmoor.

Karla McKechnie, the officer, has said that despite an attached sign having been in place for the last eight months, procured with the help of the town council, which asserts that the feature is not for dogs, some owners are continuing to ignore this and are allowing their dogs to bathe or cool off in the water.

Karla said: ’The trough has recently been cleaned out and was found to be thick with grease, hair and grime. The extent of the residue recently discovered has been very unpleasant.There aren’t many sources of water like this up on the moors so it needs to be kept clean.

‘This is a polite notice asking dog owners to refrain from doing this. I cannot stress how badly these actions could potentially be harming animals on the moor. If your dogs need to cool off, it’s better to take them to the river.’

Karla stated that this is an ongoing problem, with local pony owner Jo Ellis, who recently cleaned out the trough, describing its state as being ‘the worst I have ever seen’.