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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

For questioning this company on Facebook

80 replies

Comefromaway · 08/03/2022 14:01

A dog walking/sitting company have just put some pictures on my local Facebook group.

I am actually looking for such a company as fil who currently dog sits for us when we are at work or on holiday is getting more inform and we would also like to take fil away for the weekend too.

The pictures are of 5 dogs who I assume are clients in various places. They are all off the lead in what looks to be public places (I recognise one place as it's somewhere I walk my dog) but a couple of pictures show them all running loose on what seems to be a sports pitch (there are white lines and goal posts). So I asked is that a football pitch they are on? Another person came on and commented on them being off lead and I said yes and mentioned that I knew that NARPS guidelines recommend a max of 4 dogs to one walker.

The company and one of their clients have both replied accusing me of spreading untrue, negative comments and saying if I had any issues I should have private messaged them. But I made a public comment/asked a public question on their public post in a group I am a member of.

AIBU?

OP posts:

LizDoingTheCanCan · 08/03/2022 14:07

It does come across that you're posting to cause trouble.

Original poster

Comefromaway · 08/03/2022 14:09

Not at all. But I'm against people allowing their dogs to run free on kids sports pitches. How on earth would one person manage to watch them all close enough to be able to poop scoop for a start? And I am also aware that there is a dog walker in the area whose off lead dogs have attached others (police are involved) and I don't want my dog to be involved in anyone like that.

OP posts:

incognitoforthisone · 08/03/2022 14:22

But I'm against people allowing their dogs to run free on kids sports pitches.

Just because you happen to be against it, that doesn't mean it's not allowed.Lots of non-league football pitches are in public spaces like parks or village playing fields and are meant to be used by the community like any other park would be when there's not a game going on.

Personally I think most people would be more than capable of picking up poo for four or five dogs at a time. And NARPS is basically just a trade association; its guidelines aren't legally binding, relatively arbitrary (five placid, calm dogs can be much easier and safer to handle than two boisterous and reactive ones) and dog-walkers aren't obliged to be members.

Would I personally use this company? Probably not. But if you don't like the way the company operates, just don't use it. Other people can make up their own minds. You don't need to moan about it on Facebook just because you don't think it would be a good fit for you and your dog, and it does sound like you're just publicly stirring to be honest.

LottyD32 · 08/03/2022 14:24

Yabu. If their promotional material looks like they aren't for you, just move on and myob

Original poster

Comefromaway · 08/03/2022 14:25

I didn;t moan, I asked a question which they did not answer. The tone of their response tells me everything I needed to know & I will not be using them.

I'm impressed if you feel you could pick up after 5 dogs all running freely, nowhere near each other on a very large football field.

OP posts:

Original poster

Comefromaway · 08/03/2022 14:26

I also know that local leagues are having massive problems with dog mess & I do not want to be a part of that.

OP posts:

Unsureaboutit9 · 08/03/2022 14:29

YABU you saw they weren’t for you and ‘asked questions’ to criticise. If you were genuinely enquiring your would have private messaged.

TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo · 08/03/2022 14:29

I'm with you OP.

My mums dog was attacked by an off lead Akita who was with a dog walker who also had another 4 dogs with her.

Apparently the Akita had never shown aggression before but poor mums little patterdale ended up with multiple puncture wounds, broken ribs and then sepsis when the wounds became infected. He needed so much dead skin and flesh cutting away that at one point he looked like he had been cut in half and stitched back together.

Dog walkers need to stick to the maximum number of dogs and NEVER let them off lead as how on earth can you control an off lead dog if you are walking multiple others at the same time?!

Original poster

Comefromaway · 08/03/2022 14:32

@Unsureaboutit9

YABU you saw they weren’t for you and ‘asked questions’ to criticise. If you were genuinely enquiring your would have private messaged.

I never private message.

The company could have answered with something like.

Hi, this is a privately owned/hired secure field that we have exclusive use of for off lead excercise and I would have been satisfied.

OP posts:

Original poster

Comefromaway · 08/03/2022 14:34

Poor dog. Is he OK now?

OP posts:

TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo · 08/03/2022 15:26

@Comefromaway

Poor dog. Is he OK now?

He's doing much better thank you ❤️

They were thinking he may need skin grafts at one point as they had to cut so much dead skin away but he's healed really well. Just a patch where no fur is growing.

My mum literally just sent me a pic of him now! He's so much better. It could have ended very very differently though.

drawingpad · 08/03/2022 15:28

@LottyD32

Yabu. If their promotional material looks like they aren't for you, just move on and myob

This

Babiesandboardgames · 08/03/2022 15:34

I actually agree with you @Comefromaway. Sometimes private messages don't get read and posting publicly gives a quicker response from the business owner due to messages ending up in the other inbox.
It's annoying going for walks myself and there's a walker with a ton of dogs offlead. It would reassure me to see they had appropriate walkers to dogs ratio, a simple answer to your post would have clarified this easily.

Wolfiefan · 08/03/2022 15:38

I agree with LottyD32 too. You weren’t there. I know a lady who walks quite a few dogs. But she’s not along. So no problem with being able to pick up after them. Dogs are allowed in our local park (which has football pitches on it.)
Plus your dogs wouldn’t have been a part of this as you don’t use their service.
It has nothing to do with you and you don’t know what was going on.

Satsumaeater · 08/03/2022 15:40

I'm with you OP. And the 4 dogs guideline isn't just a guideline, many councils have local bylaws restricting the number of dogs a walker can take out at a time (though it doesn't help when 4-5 of them meet up with 4 dogs each!)

As for the football field, there are restrictions about that too, to stop the paint getting rubbed off and the fields being pood over. So it depends where you live.

girlmom21 · 08/03/2022 15:41

@Comefromaway

I also know that local leagues are having massive problems with dog mess & I do not want to be a part of that.

Why would you be a part of that? Any responsible dog walker picks up after the dogs. If you're against dogs on sports pitches (that's very specific, by the way) you wouldn't be using the company anyway.

TheHoptimist · 08/03/2022 15:43

Assuming they were not selfies then there were 2 dog walkers (2 people present)

TheHoptimist · 08/03/2022 15:44

What is you view on Ukraine?
Are you berating shop assistants in McDonalds and Costa?

girlmom21 · 08/03/2022 15:45

@TheHoptimist

What is you view on Ukraine? Are you berating shop assistants in McDonalds and Costa?

Are you on the same local Facebook page as me?

girlmom21 · 08/03/2022 15:46

Just to clarify... I'm not doing those things but people have been on my local page today - those specific businesses!

ReeseWitherfork · 08/03/2022 15:54

I'm with them, YABU. Local businesses don't need assumptive slander on their Facebook page.

Original poster

Comefromaway · 08/03/2022 16:10

@TheHoptimist

Assuming they were not selfies then there were 2 dog walkers (2 people present)

There were no humans in the pictures. There was a human (I assume) taking the picture)

OP posts:

Original poster

Comefromaway · 08/03/2022 16:13

Of course any responsible dog walker picks up after their dog. I just don't see how a dog walker can pick up after 5 dogs running free all at the same time on a sports pitch without having eyes in the back of their heads. (you could be picking up after 1 dog when you don't notice another two dogs at the other end of the field for example.

It would have been very different if they had been on leads, which is why I asked the question, to see if it was a sports pitch or whether I was mistaken and it was a ore suitable piece of land.

OP posts:

Original poster

Comefromaway · 08/03/2022 16:20

I have since found out that dogs are prohibited from play areas, playing fields and certain church yards in my area.

OP posts:

Original poster

Comefromaway · 08/03/2022 16:22

@ReeseWitherfork

I'm with them, YABU. Local businesses don't need assumptive slander on their Facebook page.

Is slander asking a question? My first post literally said. Is that a playing field/sports pitch they are running around on?

OP posts:

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