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 .

[donewithitalltodayandxmas]

@scentedgeranium yes they all have different needs and thats what people often don't get
Although my collie loves a ball and chasing and retrieving it and dogs and people around him he has no interest in them of a ball is around.

[donewithitalltodayandxmas]

@Fridacaninelo we all accept that cats kill often endangered wildlife too

[ferretface]

@tilder completely agree that dog shouldn't have been off the lead, and especially if it failed to respond to recall, should not be off the lead at all in anything other than secure private dog walking fields. I'm not defending the owner at all.

The point I'm making is that what humans see as a frightening unpredictable attack which might be replicated on humans is probably not so unpredictable - dogs are not routinely socialised to seals, plenty of dogs exhibit fight or flight reactions around unknown stimuli, plenty of dogs also have strong prey drive. Owners of dogs have a responsibility to understand these drives. Should the owner have had better control (ie dog on a lead) - unquestionably. Is the dog unpredictable and dangerous to humans - almost certainly not unless it has previous form for aggression against humans. Redirected aggression during a fight is also common but very different from unprovoked aggression - all of it could have been avoided by simply keeping this dog on a lead. Which is likely all that needs to happen to prevent any risk in future.

[Fridacaninelo]

we all accept that cats kill often endangered wildlife too

Actually I don't, it is partly why mine don't roam.

[earnshaw47]

you can not compare a dog mauling or killing a seal or sheep with a cat catching a bird , there is no similarities at all, cats cant be on a lead, a dog can and should , cats partly kill for food, do dogs ???????

[scentedgeranium]

@earnshaw47

you can not compare a dog mauling or killing a seal or sheep with a cat catching a bird , there is no similarities at all, cats cant be on a lead, a dog can and should , cats partly kill for food, do dogs ???????

Do they? Do cats kill for food? Because I can only ever remember Pet cats if my childhood bringing in dead mice and birds and leaving them as a ghoulish tribute in the kitchen. They never showed any sign of wanting to eat them

[LST]

My cat eats everything he kills. Even whole pigeons.

[Catscatsandmorecats]

I think if that lady did have her dog on lead and the lead did break she's probably feeling terrible enough without public vitriol.

However, as the owner of a young dog (planned before covid bit) I am really struggling with training in a way I didn't with our older dog. I keep him on a lead unless we're in a safe (for him and others) enclosed area and there's no one else around. But I am struggling with other dog owners telling me to 'let him play, let them run, he/she won't hurt him, let them say hello' NO! Can't you see I am trying to train him?! I've had other dogs attack him whilst he's been on lead so now he's nervous on lead of other dogs. I'm busting a gut walking along to keep him to a nice heel on the lead and someone else's dog on a flexi lead runs over to say hello and goes me up. Honestly I am at my wit's end. If I go where dogs are allowed off lead in a specified secure area I can't train because of all the other dogs going crazy, sometimes attacking my dog and jumping on my 6 year old son. Now face to face one on one training is back on I'm having as many sessions as possible to work on our training. I wish others would do the same.

As a horse rider I've had a lot of 'dont worry he's friendly' as their dog runs under my pony and barks and jumps at her. One nipped her and she kicked it. Poor dog and very stupid owner.

I don't know what the answer is but as someone who is trying extremely hard to be a good dog owner with a well trained dog it's so stressful at the moment.

[scentedgeranium]

@LST

My cat eats everything he kills. Even whole pigeons.

Ok. Different cats, different behaviors. But is one any better than the other? I mean the cat is being fed by you presumably? You're not letting it starve presumably? So the pigeon isn't something it needs

[LST]

Oh no he doesnt need it and he wears a bell to try and stop him. But he would be absolutely miserable living a life inside. So I dont know what choice I have. Just as my dog would be miserable not being allowed off his lead. He doesnt kill or maim like my cat though. If I had a dog that did I wouldn't let them off where I let my dog off

[ArcheryAnnie]

humans hurt humans far worse

donewithitalltodayandxmas and when they do, there are consequences. If I kill a red squirrel, I will be prosecuted. If I mount a ferocious attack on a seal, on a London riverside, at the very least I will be assessed for my mental health, and may well be prosecuted, too. If I attack a human, even when that human is physically hurt or not, I will be arrested and prosecuted (or, at least, I should be). If I kill a human, I will be given a life sentence in prison.

But this dog does it, and nothing happens. The owner of the dog just tells everyone how sad she is that it's happened.

[Emilyontmoor]

I do not understand why this woman has not been prosecuted. There has been a rise in the number of wildlife attacks in the area and the Royal Parks Police always prosecute, and in some cases the owners were also frightfully nice people who apologised profusely. I was once even chased by a Parks Police Range Rover blue lights flashing because my dog answered the description of one that had chased deer. He was 11 and scared of deer but I still had to demonstrate, like a drunk being made to walk a white line, that he was under control.

[Serin]

We have a dog and a cat but I am increasingly concerned about the effects of so many carnivorous pets on the environment. It's hardly eco is it?
Sand eels used in the pet food industry that impact on food stocks for sea birds. The reduction in song bird numbers due to cats. Next doors (6) cats have even wiped out a colony of endangered water shrews in our garden. I can hardly complain either, since we have a cat ourselves.
Our local park is now covered in dog crap, it stinks and it is literally impossible to picnic there now.
Recent FB posts have included some man complaining that kids on bikes could crash into his dogs (so put you dog on a lead) and someone moaning that the introduction of a snack van in another local park will just encourage more children and teenagers to go there, making it difficult for her to play fly ball with her dog.
I honestly believe a lot of people think dogs have more rights than kids. Hotels that advertise "dogs welcome, sorry no children". Can you imagine saying that about any other section of society? "Dogs welcome, no elderly".
When these two pets pass away, they wont be replaced. I just cant justify it.

[MrsHookey]

I remember having a paper round as a teenager. I remember being backed up against a wall with a growling dog off the lead and the owners saying "he's your friend". I hate people letting their dogs roam off the lead.

[Swoonforpeterbishop]

I think a lot of people got dogs over lockdown and haven’t trained them - dog schools have been closed and the few friends I’ve got who have got lockdown dogs have no idea how to train them.
I’ve noticed a lot more badly behaved dogs since this whole thing started.

DS has just started walking and so far loves dogs but I’m always so wary around them as I’ve seen people let their dogs knock toddlers over before, in an area of the park where they shouldn’t be off the lead anyway. And don’t get me started on the “they’re friendly” - they might be to your friends and family but dogs even nice ones can turn, they are animals. And secondly, so what? Doesn’t matter if they’re friendly I don’t want them careering around my toddler or myself for that matter.

Why do we just have to put up with it because the owners say they’re fine they’re friendly?

It’s like someone coming up to you and knocking you off your feet and their partner laughing and saying oh don’t worry they’re being friendly. You’d be like erm nope

[ArcheryAnnie]

Serin you talk a lot of sense. I don't have any pets, mainly because I live in a flat, but I'd love a dog. If I did ever move somewhere with a garden, I could only justify a rescue dog, not adding to the numbers by buying a puppy from a breeder.

[Pomegranatespompom]

Very sad headline on bbc news re an elderly lady dying after 2 dogs managed to get into her garden and attack her.
The responsible dog owners who are saying my dog wouldn’t do that so not my problem are really missing the point.

[Emeraldshamrock]

@Pomegranatespompom I saw it bloody hell the poor lady she would have been terrified facing death.
More needs to be done.

[Popcornbetty]

The slogan a dog is for life not just for lockdown comes to mind....