So I should start by saying I love dogs, I think they're great. I generally have no issue with them being off lead in public if they are well behaved and obey a call to heel.
Today I was out doing my morning run. I was running along a well used footpath, that is popular with lots of people. I saw a lady with two dogs off lead (fairly little terriers) running all over the place, paying no mind to her shouts for them to come. I slowed right down as I approached (I was already pretty slow as I'm really not fast runner). When I was about 10 meters away (or 30-40 ft if you're old school), these dogs start running full speed towards me. Whichever way I moved, they would change direction to still be heading for me, so I just stopped and stood still hoping to avoid an accident, and both dogs crashed into my legs. It really hurt, but luckily I'm pretty solid because it was a hard enough impact that it could've done damage to anyone frail or vulnerable using that path. I dread to think how painful it must have been for the poor dogs. I stepped around the dogs and walked on until I was far enough away to start running again.
As I walked passed this lady, she said sorry (so she obviously knew she was in the wrong on some level!). Maybe I should have left it at that, but I couldn't bite tongue and so I said to her "don't let them off the lead if they don't come when you call", she replied "yeahhhh sorry". I didn't swear, I didn't shout, but I just couldn't let it pass without saying something. Whenever I see people doing this with dogs, I just think it's a matter of time before the dog runs in front of a car or ends up getting hurt as a result of irresponsible dog ownership, and it really upsets me.
20 minutes later, I'm running back along the path in the other direction. Surprise surprise, same dogs running around off lead, same lady pointlessly shouting at them. I slowed down to a walk and just walked past because I didn't want a repeat of the incident. The dogs were running up to me, I had to repeatedly step over and around them while trying to get past again. I said nothing to this woman (what more can I say really?!?) but I was shaking my head (very british) and just held my arms up in the air (half in despair, half to demonstrate to the dogs that I have nothing on me of interest - it works sometimes, not this time). This lady obviously recognised me, and just starts shouting "they have as much right to be here as you". I continued to say nothing, walked passed, and eventually was able to start running again.
So my question is, was I wrong to say to her that her dogs shouldn't be off lead if they don't come when you call? Should I have just keep my mouth shut, and accepted that I now have a bruise on my leg because of her dogs being allowed to run all over the place?
Thanks in advance ladies. I want opinions but please be kind, I do feel quite sensitive at the moment. The woman really shouted at me, I'm a very delicate, sensitive person inside and I did find it quite intimidating. Also, I ran a different route today because last week a lovely man in a van who is now regularly parked along my usual route shouted something out the window at me (didn't hear it fully but it involved the word 'chunky', so probabaly not a compliment) and I was really upset. He still parks there sitting in his van eating his Ginsters pasty for breakfast, and I still don't feel up to running past him again yet. I just want to be able to run in peace, I'm fat and it's a cheap way to exercise!