Dog ate my picnic

Oh no. Really? See I actually feel bad for the dog now.

You’re joking, yes?!

er no you havent, and anyway, are you the op?

Well, like I said, I didn't mind seeing the dog - I was just surprised by it. And I haven't seen these reports, but I guess my hope was in vain then if some owners are allowing their dogs to defecate in shops - that's beyond disgusting!

Oh hang on..if you are so nervous of dogs why are you picnicking somewhere people walk dogs off leads? I take my kids to the park and have a picnic quite often. Usually at least once a dog will come sniffing up and the owner will call them away. We just sit there and the kids will talk to the dog - no dog has ever actually lunged for the picnic while we are sat there! Of course if we ran away the dog would tuck in.

How annoying. But really, how could she have paid you? No-one carries cash and would you have attempted to get her to transfer money? Seems too petty.

There's been many a time I've been in a park and almost had a dog steal my picnic or jump up and dirty my dress. I've said to the owners "does it have a lead" and a deliberately un-subtle hint and they'll respond "yes, he does"...well put it on him then and get your flipping hound under control! I'm also seeing a lot more of the XL Bulldog types out and about, un-muzzled too, I'd say more so since the ban! I've reported some to the police and they just deny that it is one...I bet they wouldn't be so nonchalant if they had to encounter them out in public everyday. Some of them are huge. Shar Peis, as mentioned in the original post in this thread, are also aggressive dogs, usually bought by certain people to make themselves look tough. I would not feel safe sat on the grass with one of those running around off lead.

My advice to the idiotic dog owner that caused the OP and her family distress, would be that if you can't afford to replace food that your dog damages, then keep the infernal thing on a lead and under control.

The park is for humans, first and foremost.

No, my dog would eat the child as well as the picnic

It was stupid of me. It was just a failed pathetic attempt at being funny, which I now regret, but if I ask to have it deleted, people will think I was offensive or profane in some way, so it will look worse.

I stand by my first post when I said my sympathy was with OP and I hoped her child was okay. I think I may have come across the same poster before, and I was the only person that backed her up on a thread where people were boasting about their dog's misdemeanours. I am horrified by stories of dogs snatching ice cream from kids, weeing on people etc. That should never happen and this is why I commented on this thread. Which I now regret doing.

Anyway, I can see that neither you nor @WD40SuccessStories will apologise for what you said to me. Clearly neither of you has ever said anything stupid in your lives - you must both be paragons. But thank you for at least reading my original post. The other person has given me a real good kicking twice now.

I maintain that I am a responsible owner. I would never put my dogs in the situation where they could hurt or upset anybody. All my dogs have been well mannered. I am retreating from this thread and from MN now. As a sixty something disabled person, it has upset me. My dog is my therapy - without her I am too anxious to leave the house - and she is my whole life, so what has been said by you and the other person has been very hurtful.

I have nothing else to say other than the fact that I wish the OP well and I apologise to her if my comments were inappropriate.

You should pay the vets bill if the poor dog is taken ill because you left dangerous food lying around. Really irresponsible of you OP

I don't mind though as I love dogs and would assume (hope!) that only owners with well-behaved and toilet-trained dogs would take them shopping and even then

Unfortunately not.

I often shop online and haven’t seen this myself but there’s been quite a few posts online about dog poos in John Lewis and dog hairs on clothes in stores.

There was even a case in Glasgow where one shopping centre ended their dog friendly trial after a few months following a report of a huge poo left in the food court - and of course it wasn’t an isolated incident, there were other similar mishaps during the dog friendly trial. The dogs were probably not happy and neither were a lot of shoppers.

And from what I’ve seen most people definitely take their dogs to places like that because they want to rather than they need to.

I've already explained that to you. And "innit"? 🙄

Oh, she already has been! Along with others accusing her of making it all up. There were some absolute loons on MN yesterday - it must have been the heat so better buckle up for today too. 🙄

but why take the photo!
if not for naming and shame
innit

Thanks for the edit - no, I didn't see that post, but it's irrelevant because I was responding to the one about your "flippant" comment, which now makes even less sense to me if you actually support OP's position. As I asked you previously, what point were you making with your "flippant" comment then? I still don't get it.

I have every respect & tollerence for assistance dogs and their owners. The rest I could do without,especially owners who allow their dogs to run wild in childrens play parks. There should be a law against this.There are plenty of empty fields in the area I live which are far more appropriate for exercising dogs yet they insist on taking them to our local play park.

How many do you know? (I'm not and I'm appalled by the behaviour of the dog-owner OP had the misfortune to encounter.)

I have a 10cm scar from a dog bite. The dog was on a lead and had just enough slack to attack me.

Muzzles are great IMO.

I actually saw a dog in John Lewis back in March and did a double-take. I hadn't been there in a few years (do most shopping online these days) and didn't know this was now allowed. I don't mind though as I love dogs and would assume (hope!) that only owners with well-behaved and toilet-trained dogs would take them shopping and even then, only because they have no other choice (e.g. maybe they're visiting the town). Personally, I wouldn't take a dog shopping for no good reason - it's probably not much fun for them.

She didn't. OP wrote in her very first post that she wouldn't "name and shame" the dog- owner. She subsequently wrote she knows nothing about dogs and was clearly worried when other PPs explained to her that grapes and chocolate are toxic to them and then she did her own research which made her even more concerned for the dog. She posted the photo she'd taken on FB just long enough for a relative of the owner to recognise her and contact OP to tell her she would advise the owner to take her dog to the vet - she then deleted the photo. If you think this makes OP a "vigilante" then you don't understand the meaning of the word.

Really hate how entitled and selfish so many dog owners are.