Dogs on Wandsworth Common

[SVinLondon]

I posted a message on Nextdoor about this situation:
We had a picnic on Wandsworth Common last Saturday. I go to the common regularly during the week, but I’m usually at the playgrounds, which are dog-free. This time we just found a space towards the middle of the park, under a tree for shade.
During the picnic there were two separate incidents with dogs. The first dog ran up to us, grabbed some bread, but made no attempt to run away. Instead, it continued to lunge at food on our blanket, where my 4 year old, my 2 year old, and my 7 month old were sitting. My husband was very upset. My two older children were screaming. The dog had time to run over to another picnic, where there was a

When DS3 was 3 years old he was walking in Battersea park eating a croissant for breakfast (couldn't wait for family breakfast picnic). Will Young's dog came and stole the croissant right out of his hand!

YANBU that the dogs should have been under control and the owners should have definitely apologised. However YABU to get so worked up about this. There are specific fenced off dog-free areas on Clapham Common and I'm fairly sure there's one on Wandsworth Common too. If you have small children that are scared of dogs then you ought to have picnicked in one of those areas.

"Does Wan Com have dog-free area? Can't think of it if it does. I visit Clapham Common more often and the dog-free areas often have dogs in them "

As OP said, there are. There's the playground for U8s (near the cafe), but that is blighted by families bringing their dogs in. And the area with the cricket pitches, which does seem to be dog-free (neighbouring softball pitches are also allegedly dog free, but never are)

And yes Wandsworth Common, like Clapham Common, is not a park and the by-laws and regulations are quite different to those for parks.

But if you want to see appalling behaved owners and their lively, intrusive dogs, try Battersea Park. Way worse than the Commons.

I will, however, call animal control

Err, you've clearly not been in the UK for very long. We don't have anything called animal control.

Dog wardens deal with stray dogs (not always a 24/7 service)
RSPCA deal with neglect and cruelty cases (though if the dog has food, water and shelter they won't do anything)
Police deal with anything under the Dangerous Dogs Act

Not sure what exactly animal control would do in the US under these circumstances, but thanks to austerity most public services have been cut to the bone and you can't expect the Metropolitan Police to turn up to a case of dogs being in the wrong bit of a park or investigating your ham sandwiches when they can't even respond to burglary calls in a timely manner.

12 years, Avocado.

OP has been here for 12 years and has only just realised things ain't like back home.

The second instance, two dogs came on our blanket

YANBU, I would not have wanted to eat that food afterwards.

Not sure what exactly animal control would do in the US under these circumstances

Advise OP to buy a gun?

Well. she does like westerns...

from someone who has been on the otherside of this where my dog was on a dog friendly beach and ran off towards a family - I did get him back asap ( thank goodness ) but please if you can try and explain to your children to remain calm if at all possible . My dog is friendly ( would not have been off the lead otherwise) but if it was an aggressive dog screaming and waving arms about hysterically ( which is what happened to me ) could attract or make the dog more nervous.

YABU and YANBU both. I used to walk on Wandsworth Common regularly when my kids were toddlers (have since moved) and there were a distinctive subset of dog owners/walkers who let their dogs roam/jump up/crap everywhere. I used to see single dog walkers in the middle of the day with 4-6 dogs running loose over toward the Bolingbroke direction. Had a dog once jump up on my DD's stroller and scratch her and the owner wasn't bothering to supervise her animal.

Those dog owners exist and so to protect yourself, you need to only picnic inside areas that prohibit dogs. I don't think you'll get anywhere calling the dog warden. I really don't. I witnessed a really nasty encounter with a mastiff cross going for (and half-killing) a border collie in a park near WW Common and nobody wanted to know. "A civil matter" when all was said and done. Doubt you'll get anywhere ringing anyone to come for a dog stealing crusts when the owner will just nab them, put 'em on leash and scarper.

I’m just imagining the call now. “999 do you need police fire or ambulance?” “I need animal control” “er there’s no such thing as animal control” “well the police then.. I’d like to report a dog stealing my kids ham sandwich” “(muffled laughter) er this lines for emergencies, call back if it takes any cake” “but two dogs came on my blanket” call appears on a tv programme hosted by Ross Kemp - someone has a heart attack laughing at the “dogs came on my blanket”

Op please never go on Wimbledon common, you’re sat there having a picnic - these furry creatures, the size of a small man come up to you rob you of your rubbish and try and recycle it. Their wombling free ways have been the bane of picnickers for decades.

Yanbu objectively but unfortunately there is a strong culture of entitlement about dog ownership in the UK and a mentality that if dogs are allowed somewhere they should be able to do what they like, regardless of the impact they have on people. I think it's a shame especially in cities where green spaces are effectively dog walking spaces rather than municipal areas to be enjoyed by everyone but that's the nutso dog prioritising average Brit for you.

If you were 'BTC' and put this on nextdoor I'm not surprised you got that entitled reaction. I've never met more self absorbed entitled people than I did when I worked on northcote road. Absolutely the dog owners fault. YANBU.

Thanks for the messages. And for clarity, I would not call the Dog Control* unit for food-grabbing dogs in leash-free areas.

I'd contact them for people who blatantly bring dogs into playgrounds/dog-free areas. If the offender gets an email/phone call/letter from the unit, it's enough. Even if the offender's name just gets sucked into some database, it's enough, because if their dog does sadly bite someone in future, maybe they'll be flagged & dealt with more firmly.

If the department does nothing? So be it. The department exists; I assume they'll be working on something else.

*the Council's title, not mine

http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/info/200491/communitysafety/245/theeanti-socialbehaviourrunit/3

Not sure why that previous message randomly was in bold lettering!

It's a bit pathetic that so many people have no control over their pets, tbh.

I would be so so embarrassed if my dog ever attempted something like that! He's not aggressive in the slightest but he is a dustbin and there's no way I'd be able to recall him away from such a yummy picnic - so he'd absolutely never be allowed off the lead where there were families eating like that!