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

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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 .

[quote Wolfiefan]@HowAboutAH0tCupOfShutTheHellUp it does worry me. Honestly my dogs would be better PTS than stuck on a lead for the rest of their lives.
I’ve worked bloody hard to make sure they behave. I am responsible. They are trained to stand still with attention on me when asked. They don’t bother anyone.
The hysteria here is mad.[/quote]
Totally mad. And I agree with @HowAboutAH0tCupOfShutTheHellUp there is no way the law will change. Thankfully. I dont know why I argue on these daft threads

I understand completely that no one wants to see dog muck that lazy owners CBA to pick up.
I know seeing it waving in a bloody tree supposedly waiting for someone to come and pick it up is grim.
I completely understand that no one wants a dog to jump up at them or steal food. Or generally pester strangers whether “friendly” (rude) or not.
But we aren’t all like that.

It's not just the sight of the dog faeces, it's the stench... and especially the health hazard it poses. Especially for children, who could fall in it and get it on their hands/face. That can serious consequences, Google toxocariasis blindness.

it's also a health hazard to livestock. pregnant cattle around me miscarry every year due to eating grass contaminated with dog faeces.

I think a lot of dog owners maybe don't realise how hazardous dog waste is. perhaps they think that at worst its just a bit of mess, and other dog walkers leave it, why should they pick it up. it's "natural". Or, maybe do know but just don't care.

I think they just don’t care.
I always pick up. I know about toxoplasmosis and have friends who are farmers so I knew about the risk to livestock too.

@Wolfiefan

We use footpaths and common land. Plus a local arboretum. I avoid livestock entirely. My worry is knee jerk reaction leading to me never being allowed to let my dogs off anywhere. They would be unutterably miserable.

They wouldn't, you are projecting human emotions onto a dog. This is the problem we have with regarding them as "fur babies" and "part of the family". Too much anthropomorphising. They are dogs. Animals. They don't know they're supposed to be off-lead pack animals until you let them off lead and they remember their roots. Keep them on a lead and that's normality.

I know about toxoplasmosis

I actually thought that was from cats (and foxes). DH had it a few years ago, it presented like lymphoma. Not funny at all.

And yet no one's upset about the millions of small mammals and birds cats maul every year.

What tosh. Some dogs NEED to have off lead exercise. And dogs that have, quite rightly, been let off their lead their whole life will not benefit from then being kept on a lead. And also, dogs can be miserable. If you don't think that I really hope you have no pets or plan to

@LST

What tosh. Some dogs NEED to have off lead exercise. And dogs that have, quite rightly, been let off their lead their whole life will not benefit from then being kept on a lead. And also, dogs can be miserable. If you don't think that I really hope you have no pets or plan to

That was aimed at @poppycat

@Zwellers I had the same thought. They literally kill for the fun of it and nobody gives a shit, because they're cats.

@poppycat10 ridiculous. They aren’t furbabies. They are a breed meant to run. They could never be kept fit and healthy stuck on a short lead. They would be thoroughly fed up.

So, what can we do about when a dog attacks a seal, and does it so ferociously that it cannot be pulled away, and even bites one of the rescuers?

And how do we stop it happening again, whether to a seal or a sheep or whatever? (And seals aren't all that unusual - more than 100 are seen in the Thames every year.) And never mind London and the Thames - what about all these poorly-socialised and poorly-trained lockdown pups being taken to the beach for the first time this summer?

What will change? Or will we just have to post a thread like this every time it happens?

And will dogs who maul wildlife, and the owners who are reckless enough to let it happen, always get off scot-free?

They wouldn't, you are projecting human emotions onto a dog. This is the problem we have with regarding them as "fur babies" and "part of the family". Too much anthropomorphising. They are dogs. Animals. They don't know they're supposed to be off-lead pack animals until you let them off lead and they remember their roots. Keep them on a lead and that's normality.

Rubbish. Dogs can be utterly miserable and while they may not be human they are capable of feelings. Slightly different but we had an Old English Sheepdog when I was little. My mother bought him a rain coat, complete with legs and when she made the poor sod go out in it his demeanour changed completely.

@ArcheryAnnie I think the penalties on the owners should be much harsher to make them think twice about their actions. Caught not picking up, community service picking up dog shit in the local area for example. High fines or prison sentences for allowing an animal kill livestock. There will always be accidents but a lot of people just don't care.

Sadly the owner of this dog has got away scot-free. The dog won't be put down. And she will be free to walk it off-lead, in an area with "please don't walk dogs off-lead" signs, again anytime she wants to.

I know and that's the problem, she should be punished. Whether or not the dog should be put down I don't know, but she definitely shouldn't get away with no punishment at all.

I have said I think the dog should be put down, which is just awful, as not the dog's fault - but as well as removing a dog that has already committed a serious attack, it will concentrate the minds of everyone else out there with poorly-trained dogs and a sense of entitlement about ignoring "please no off-lead" signs.

The owners should also be banned from getting another dog for at least 10 years.

not toxoplasmosis, toxocariasis

can cause blindness, to the point of losing eyes.

Sadly the owner of this doghasgot away scot-free. The dog won't be put down. And she will be free to walk it off-lead, in an area with "please don't walk dogs off-lead" signs, again anytime she wants to.

She wont though, not with so many people knowing everything about her now. I dont know, your dog does something horrific but do you deserve to get the hell she will from now on? And people upthread calling her a bitch? Some people freeze under pressure and maybe her dog acted ridiculously out of character. There's people saying I let my dog off but he has perfect recall. We don't know her full story

And yet no one's upset about the millions of small mammals and birds cats maul every year.

nope, that's shitty too. It just happens that this is a thread about dogs.

the dog that killed the seal was discussed on jeremy vine this morning, silly Storm came up with the comparison that cats kill birds !!!!!

I'm puzzled....

I thought all of us dog owners were legally responsible for whatever they did ... and that cat owners aren't as cats are regarded as uncontrollable/untrainable

So surely its not a discussion about all dogs being on leads but all dog owners actually being responsible for their dogs - as is in the law?

Yes I believe we should still have dog licences - ridiculous that we don't Both to pay for them and register who has what where

@Zwellers

And yet no one's upset about the millions of small mammals and birds cats maul every year.

It because they are not considered cute and never reach "celebrity" status, unlike this baby seal.

@ArcheryAnnie

I have said I think the dog should be put down, which is just awful, as not the dog's fault - but as well as removing a dog that has already committed a serious attack, it will concentrate the minds of everyone else out there with poorly-trained dogs and a sense of entitlement about ignoring "please no off-lead" signs.

The owners should also be banned from getting another dog for at least 10 years.

Why should the dog be put to sleep? It attacked a wild animal.. dogs are predators and the seal was a prey animal. Are you suggesting that any dog that mauls another animal be PTS? Well, perhaps I should book an appointment for my greyhound who has killed 2 squirrels... or the many JRT owners who have had their dog come to them with a dead rat. Or is it because a baby seal is cute?

Seals are predators as well as prey. Maybe all seals should be put down for killing fish.