To be so sick of selfish dog owners...The seal pup in London

[TickTockTick21]

It’s in the news that a seal pup has been mauled by an off lead dog. The seal pup now is likely to be put down.

Recent story of an off lead husky attacking lambs and sheep . A few months ago an off lead dog mauled a deer which had to be destroyed.

Numerous stories of swans being mauled by off lead dogs. On top of the numerous stories of children being attacked by off lead dogs.

Ffs why are people so bloody stupid and selfish! Keep your dog on a lead near wildlife!

I feel so sad for the seal pup . AIBU to think laws need to be tightened around off lead dogs?

I say this as a dog lover and owner .

Glad you started this thread.

Selfish dog owners are increasingly one of my biggest aggravations in life.

I am a powerchair user. There are some problems with the paving on the direct main route to the nearest supermarket and I've taken to cutting through a well paved cemetery.

Signs asking people to keep their dogs on leads in the cemetery are frequent and clear.

They are ignored. Dogs running wild. Two days or so a go, a dog not on a lead, was startled by the chair, barked aggressively, and gave chase. I started reversing back and the dog kept coming. I called to the owner, can she call her dog back? She just stood there like a spare part until he lost interest.

IME Selfish Dog Owners believe THEIR DOGS RIGHT TO ROAM AND RUN trumps :

The needs of those who are infirm/elderly/disabled
The needs of parents of small children
The right of couples, families etc to enjoy a day at the country park or beach without being jumped up at or disturbed
Legal or advisory signs instructing otherwise.

I don't give a flying fuck if your dog is friendly, walk it on a lead and stop foisting it on strangers.

And IME Selfish Dog Owners who expect you to accord their dog the same status in your mind that it occupies in theirs are the VAST MAJORITY not the minority.

One of our ewes was attacked over the weekend by two very nice dogs. She is missing a 10x5 cm chunk of her front inner leg and has a least 10 other bites. She'll be on treatment for months poor thing. The problem with bites is they are so bloody toxic. She's a surprisingly tough cookie so I hope she'll pull through.

[quote TickTockTick21]@Lockheart some news outlets are reporting the owner left the scene after recalling the dog.

It’s noted passersby helped the seal.[/quote]
That doesn't mean she didn't have the dog on a lead originally though. It would also be quite wise to leave the scene to remove the aggressive dog (where else would she put it otherwise?) and to avoid being the center of an angry mob (see social media reaction). At this stage we don't know if the owner has been in contact with the police separately.

One of two things has happened here: either we have an irresponsible dog owner who doesn't give a shit, or we have someone who has had the most hideous accident (lead broke).

If I am right from looking at the pictures, she was out with the dog on the lead but it either broke or slipped. I could be wrong and it's not the owner in the photos at all, but it would seem quite unlikely.

It’s clearly broken its lead in the photos, it’s not loose.

That said, if you own that kind of powerful dog you should have a high quality lead. Or two. And I’m going to argue merely being tied to your waist while you run is not sufficient to control it should the dog suddenly pull away - owner should have had her hand(s) on the lead.

I’d personally like to see the introduction of mandatory dog licenses and no dogs allowed off lead outside of designated dog areas or on private property.

YANBU. I keep my dog on the lead at all times. There is a dog owner I pass you has one on the lead and one off lead. My dog ( and lots of others) is not good with other dogs when she is on lead and others are off lead

I constantly have to pick my dog up to walk last, she calls the damn thing won’t come, but does say oh he won’t hurt her I keep telling her my dog is not good with dogs off lead, she takes no notice

I have now had enough

As to the seal, horrific, I hope the dog owner is prosecuted

She shouldn't even have been on the beach where the seals are....... The areas the seals are on our beaches are protected. Dogs aren't allowed on them whether they're on leads or not. In the main people respect this........ As like most seal colonies its a few miles away from the popular beach its not exactly difficult.

@MobyDicksTinyCanoe

She shouldn't even have been on the beach where the seals are....... The areas the seals are on our beaches are protected. Dogs aren't allowed on them whether they're on leads or not. In the main people respect this........ As like most seal colonies its a few miles away from the popular beach its not exactly difficult.

It's not a beach, it's a slipway. It's right next to a busy path with no separation.

@1Morewineplease

Slightly off thread but I don't understand why huskies are even considered as domestic pets.

Husky's always get a bad rep

Oh that's awful!!!! So incredibly sad.

I saw a dog maul a squirrel the other day (not the same I know) but it really traumatised me. I have 2 dogs. 1 is incredibly good. Will come back on command and wouldn't hurt a fly. Really, she's scared of her own shadow. I let her off lead (where allowed). The other is a pain in the arse and he is always on a lead.

I’d like a law passed that any dog owner must pay high licensing fees, micro chipping, always keep dog on a leash unless on private land or if the dog has passed extensive training to prove it is safe off lead.

Parks, beaches, fields and woods are being ruined by dogs off leash.

I think the law should ban all bull breeds too as it’s impossible to distinguish a pitbull cross (banned) from a staffie cross (not banned but often dog aggressive). Bull breeds were bred for bear baiting, bull fighting and then dog fighting (which still goes on even though it’s illegal).

Dangerous dogs need a special licence like firearms. And police need greater power to seize and destroy suspected pitbull crosses, along with other banned breeds and their lookalikes!

I'm incredibly sad about this, I live nearby and have been following the seal's exploits very closely. It's been such a joy to have it near us in London, a seal pup still with fur allowing us all to watch it and be near it, and now the poor creature's dead, after having suffered immense fear and pain.

I'm pretty sick to death of seeing dogs running around off the lead outside of parks. Dogs should be on a lead while walking, unless in a designated exercise area. If your dog doesn't have good recall, and can't be trusted around wildlife, other dogs, cats etc, then DO NOT LET IT OFF THE LEAD.

I say this as a dog lover.

I hope the owner is found and prosecuted with the full force of the law.

@Dazedandconfused28

I can't help but agree that there seem to be more irresponsible dog owners about...maybe they're just out walking more. I took 2 year old DS to the park yesterday, we went in a fenced off picnic area where dogs have to be kept on s lead. We went there because DS is quite timid of dogs. He was happily running through a play tunnel when a woman let her 2 (quite big & boisterous) dogs off the lead, they both went straight into the tunnel & DS was trapped between them, terrified & shaking. She told me they were friendly- but neither would return to her call. It's not even that I don't trust her judgment in regards to her dogs- but equally she doesn't know if my toddler will grab or pull at them either. I do respect people's right to let their dogs run in the park- I just wish people could understand that not everyone is a dog lover & having dogs under control is paramount.

Bloody annoys me if I hear people condoning their dogs behaving, saying that they're friendly! I couldn't give a monkeys how friendly they are. I love dogs, have my own - she's the daftest, sweetest little thing, but would I say it's ok for her to approach a young child, would I heck! Hope your little one is ok x

I’d like a law passed that any dog owner must pay high licensing fees, micro chipping, always keep dog on a leash unless on private land or if the dog has passed extensive training to prove it is safe off lead.

I was thinking the same just today @HikeForward but because of the sheer number of dogs in the UK I don't know how it could be rolled out/enforced.

Potentially any dog taken into a household from a certain date onwards, so taking it forward, as unfortunately I think licensing every dog currently in circulation is unachievable.

Yesterday my neighbours big lab flew down the street and was chasing my kids. One of them is terrified of dogs. I ran to catch up and try and shoe the dog away. Neighbour says he won't hurt them. I say I don't care, get your dog under control. He tries to grab the dog and it runs off round the corner. I heard a high pitched scream so ran round and saw this dog jumping all over another little girl playing on the green who was hysterical. Her mother dashed out and scooped her up and into the house. Neighbour eventually gets dog in the house. This morning driving to work I see neighbour walking the dog, no lead and the dog was bounding all over people's gardens. I despair at that level of stupidity

I agree. Cases round here include a swan being attacked and a horse having its legs attacked when a dog chased it as it was ridden along a bridleway.

I’m an (off road) cyclist and I’m fed up of being leapt at and chased by dogs.

It’s getting worse with all the people who have got “lockdown dogs” & don’t realise they require a lot of time, effort & training. I despair.

So glad I'm not the only one who feels this way! And also regarding dog shit everywhere. I wish they'd DNA test it then fine the owners £££££

I'm love animals but honestly I'm sick of dogs at the moment. I'm sick of massive intimidating ones off the leash in the park with no recall. I'm sick of their foul turds all over the pavement and in the park. I'm sick of the fecking barking and the defensive, irresponsible owners who can't be arsed to train them.

People will bleat "oh but what about cats" and yes, while they do roam, and they might poo in your garden (and mine don't, because I'm a responsible owner), if an aggressive cat is out and about it isn't going to maul a seal or a small child to death, and it isn't going to leave shit strewn on a public footpath.

I increasingly think people need to have a license to own a dog, especially a large one.

Poor seal - that's terrible.
I hate dogs off lead, and even ones on lead which go towards you when you are just walking/running along minding your own business BUT the worst thing that happened was that last week I was sitting peacefully on the beach when a dog came over, had a bit of a sniff around then lifted it's leg and peed on me. Absolutely disgusting. If your dog has that habit keep it on a lead.

Yanbu. Some people are so entitled. My neighbour's dog caught a deer in the woods opposite because he just lets it run riot. Loads of similar stories to others posted here of nests destroyed. I just think people think their dogs' right to run at will trumps everything else.

Hidden, that happened to me in a pub once! Was so embarrassing and smelt awful.

I’m on the fence with this.

My dog is not ‘dangerous’ but I know exactly how my dog would behave if he ever saw a seal. The same as if he saw a sheep. So when I know we are in a sheep area, he is on a lead.
Would I expect to come across a seal whilst walking along the Thames? No, so he would likely be off lead. A

Would I then stay around whilst a huge crowd bays for mine and my dogs blood? Or would a flee in panic?

The comments on SM about this are disgusting and quite frightening. I understand it’s tragic, but she didn’t set out that morning planning it.

YANBU dogs should be on leash always. End of.

Would I expect to come across a seal whilst walking along the Thames? No, so he would likely be off lead

I would hope in a crowded area of London that your dog would always be on a lead.

Such an awful thing to happen.
My dogs are walked off lead.
Away from livestock.
They don’t bother on lead dogs.
They will walk past (or stand out of the way while passed by) pedestrians.
I ALWAYS pick up.
And they are giants. So I walk on leads that won’t snap. No crappy extending lead to be a hazard.
I would hate for dogs to have to be on a lead at all times. But I would welcome decent licensing laws or mandatory training.
Wildlife and livestock shouldn’t suffer because people can’t be responsible dog owners.

YANBU, we went for a walk along the beach at the weekend & both my children had their chips eaten by 2 separate dogs at 2 different times! Neither owner offered to buy them new ones either. (Chips are bloody expensive now days!)

Completely not in the same league as this awful story obviously but just another example of dog owners having no control over their animals & not accepting responsibility when they do something wrong.

This story is just heartbreaking & completely avoidable.