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Original poster

Dogs should be banned from large parts of public parks

48 replies

SpareWheel · 03/05/2007 14:24

I am sick and tired of going to the park and having some carefree dog owner with the dog off the leash let their blasted mutt scare the hell out of my DD (and ME!). "He's only being friendly" is not an excuse for allowing your dog to run at a child.
And then when we get to somewhere nice to have a picnic, I have to scour the area for dog turds before we can sit down.
I think it's time we acknowledged that although many (maybe even most) dog owners are responsible, the only realistic thing to do is to exclude dogs from large parts of public parks. No apologies to sensible owners of dogs - it's a collective responsibility for all of us (non-dog owners included).

OP posts:
PetronellaPinkPants · 03/05/2007 14:25

whatever

NKF · 03/05/2007 14:26

Yup. Ban them. I'll sign your petition.

southeastastra · 03/05/2007 14:27

ban them from children's play areas. ours is treated like the pub garden, dogs loose, people getting drunk. grr

expatinscotland · 03/05/2007 14:27

I think they should be kept on lead at ALL times in any public park.

I used to live in Denver, where the council has to make this a law after several people and other pets were attacked.

There were a couple of 'off lead' parks for dog owners, but everywhere else was lead-only.

And bring back the wardens!

On the spot £100 fines for all rule-breakers.

My father was right, 'If you don't police people, they go ghetto.'

Fimbo · 03/05/2007 14:28

I agree. It is just me, or do more and more people seem to have dogs these days? People even seem to take them into town with them now off the lead.

I have lost count of the amount of times I have had dogs charge up to me or the dc. Why can't people seem to realise that some children are scared. The "oh he/she won't harm them" doesn't wash with me.

oliveoil · 03/05/2007 14:28

oh I did a thread recently moaning about this

I quite agree

FrannyandZooey · 03/05/2007 14:28

They are in our park.

penmack · 03/05/2007 14:29

i think that may be a bit unrealistic. some of the large parks where we live have dog free meadow and people do seem to keep their dogs off them. but must responsible dog owners (and there are many of us) do have their dogs under control. perhaps its not where dogs are allowed that is the problem , rather who is allowed to have a dog.

LadyTophamHatt · 03/05/2007 14:30

our dog loves children (we have 4 so she has to really!!) and other adults, she the most disloyal dog I have ever known.

If anyone pays here any attentiopn she;d bugger off home with them.

Anyway, when we're out I always call her back to me if there are children araound. know she loves them and I know not all children like dogs. DH always moans at me because I call her because he says it makes it look like shes a vicious rabid animal.

I know he's wrong and will continue to call her back.

(she's terrifeid of other dogs, after being attacked by a fair few of them who run around unsupervised)

MellowMa · 03/05/2007 14:30

Message withdrawn

NKF · 03/05/2007 14:31

Marvellous MellowMio. I'm all for apartheid where animals and children are concerned. If only it could be official.

NKF · 03/05/2007 14:32

Sorry MellowMa. Spelled your name wrong.

penmack · 03/05/2007 14:32

just read fimbo comment. totally agree that dogs should be kept on a lead on the street and in towns. surely anyone with half a brain wouldnt take a dog into a childrens play area. the problem is some people only care about themselves and what they want to do.

AnAngelWithin · 03/05/2007 14:33

i agree that if the dogs cannot walk to heel or be kept under good control then they should be on a lead. We have a a dog and she walks right by me unless i am throwing a ball for her.

I hate it when a dog comes running up and sticks its nose all over dd in the pushchair. I had a spaniel physically jump onto dd in the buggy one day. The owner didn't even apologise or attempt to call the dog off. Idiot. I soon yelled at him! lol.

However as well, dogs still need to be walked and sometimes the park is one of the only options if there is nowhere else nearby suitable.

In our local park which i have to walk through to get to school there is what i call a 'doggy playgroup' in the middle in the morning and everyone takes their dogs there to socialise. Been like that for years and everyone knows that.

penmack · 03/05/2007 14:34

nkf could we included old people in this ban please

NKF · 03/05/2007 14:35

Is that really wise, Penmac? We'll all be old some day and will want people to be kind to us.

Heathcliffscathy · 03/05/2007 14:35

one child's eyesight or one child attacked. is not worth any amount of doggie freedom imo.

dogs should be on leads in public parks. dog owners should be spot checked when out walking said dogs that they are carrying dog shit bags with them and fined if not. End of.

FrannyandZooey · 03/05/2007 14:37

Mellowma I don't let my child go to the park on his own but I do let him run around on his own and go out of my sight etc. If I caught you following him about I would be slightly to be honest

LadyTophamHatt · 03/05/2007 14:37

I have lost count of the number of times I've shouted at other dog owners "WILL YOU PLEASE CONTROL YOUR DOG!!"

expatinscotland · 03/05/2007 14:37

I mean who lets a 2 year old child go to the park on their own????

A 3-year-old girl accidentally hanged herself playing on her own in a park in Edinburgh the other day.

The park is also along a busy road and backs onto a burn as well.

Yet this child was playing alone there.

mumfor1standfinaltime · 03/05/2007 14:38

I live next to a park and a river. The park is no dogs mainly because of the ducks, swans, other wildlife etc. People do still take dogs in there which really annoys me because I don't think it is fair on the wildlife (there are swans nesting at the moment too).
The thing which annoys me the most about it is that there is another much larger park just around the corner which does allow dogs - why do people with dogs not go there?!

I haven't got a dog, but have had one in the past. If I saw a no dog sign, I would respect it. I don't mind dogs in parks as long as people pick up the dogs mess. Although I do think councils could put more 'dog poo bins' around in parks.

saadia · 03/05/2007 14:39

totally agree - I hate trips to the park and am constantly on the lookout for dogs and try to avoid them. One time I was in the kids' area of the park, which is fenced off and a loony looking dog was racing around the fence and barking - thus effectively trapping us.

MellowMa · 03/05/2007 14:39

Message withdrawn

expatinscotland · 03/05/2007 14:39

People will continue to take their dogs there until the council brings back wardens and starts fining people big time on the spot.

If people aren't policed, they will go ghetto.

mumfor1standfinaltime · 03/05/2007 14:40

Oh yes, and the other day one dog owner took her dog in the public loo in the park to have a drink from the loo...nice.

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