Boy 10 mauled to death at holiday park

[Witchofzog]

I can't link on this phone but it is on most news sites. The owner was found off site after a police hunt so possibly fled when she knew her dog had killed a child. It's just awful - a young boy probably just going to the loo in the middle of the night on a campsite having his life ended because of a dangerous dog and an owner who can't control and/ or keep it securely away

No. You must have your dog on a lead in public places, such as roads, parks, beaches, football pitches and children's play areas... etc
There are signs saying dogs can be off lead at the parks and beach I go to regularly.

My dog is a small mutt, and not a bull breed.

He's off lead in the park because it's perfectly legal, it would be nigh on impossible to give him the exercise he needs if he was always on lead (he needs 2hrs a day off lead) and he comes back when he's called. He ignores picnics and goes for polite bum sniffing or play with 99.9% of other dogs. He's never bitten a third party.

He does, however, offend people in the park multiple times per day - strangers want to say hello to him and stroke him and he completely blanks them and walks off as he just isn't interested, leading to some rather disappointed looking people.

Flaxmeadow, you are wrong about dogs on leads. Where I lived up until a few months ago there are quite a few people who walk their dog along the pavement off lead. One guy has 2 dogs who run into people's gardens, run across the road sometimes and generally do as they like while he chats on his phone every day.

It was a very built up area on the outskirts of a city. I phoned the local council and told them about the dogs and said they should be on lead because they could cause an accident running into the road (it's a busy road and on a bus route) and the council told me dogs do not have to be on a lead.

Also on beaches, in parks etc unless there is a sign saying dogs must be on lead then they are allowed off lead.

"Section 27 of the Road Traffic Act 1998 states that: "A person who causes or permits a dog to be on a designated road without the dog being held on a lead is guilty of an offence."

Reading some of these reploes is unbelievable
Please please don't tell me you believe 'designated' mean designated specifically for your dog? !!!

A designated road means a road with a classification such as A road, B road Motorway, dual carriage etc

...On the other hand, today he was off lead and unexpectedly took a dislike to another dog,

So in other words you admit that your dog is not completely under your control at all times. That your dog has behaved unexpectedly on at least one occasion when off the lead

...likely a husky crossthat was five times a big as himand stood 2m away barking in a rather unfriendly way...

That your dog behaved in a 'rather unfriendly way' toward another sentient being. What does rather unfriendly way mean? Is this the 'subjectivety' you mentioned

The other dog looked bemused, the other owner was unconcerned, and I heard sniggering from nearby picnickers...

So your dog is out of control (behaving in an aggressive and unexpected way ), in a public place, off the lead, displaying aggression and you all found this amusing?

For instance, I recently walked around the corner with DDog, who was behaving impeccably and was on lead, to find a grown woman hiding behind her friend and whimpering...

She has my sympathy. The woman that is, not the dog

Thanks for finding the correct quotation about dogs on leads by roads. TBH I would never have my dog off lead by a road. I would like to add that they shouldn’t be on an extending lead. Dangerous too.

Yes Flaxmeadow but the key words are DESIGNATED ROAD. I lived, as I said, on a pretty busy road (bus route) in a built up area on the outskirts of a city and yet my council said that dogs could be walked off lead as it was NOT a DESIGNATED road.

Of course you can't walk a dog off lead along a motorway, dual carriageway etc but you can along other roads

...but the key words are DESIGNATED ROAD. I lived, as I said, on a pretty busy road (bus route) in a built up area on the outskirts of a city and yet my council said that dogs could be walked off lead as it was NOT a DESIGNATED road.

Sorry but from your description the person you spoke to is likely ignorant of the law and unfortunately for you, ignorance of the law is no excuse.

Of course you can't walk a dog off lead along a motorway, dual carriageway etc but you can along other roads

This is worrying.
You do not seem to understand that a designated road includes A and B roads. In other words, any road that isn't basically a dirt track is probably a designated road.

Roads are numbered. Even small roads with no markings and country lanes. This is what is meant by 'designated'. It has a designated number

"For instance, I recently walked around the corner with DDog, who was behaving impeccably and was on lead, to find a grown woman hiding behind her friend and whimpering..."

I used to get this a fair bit, I just assumed they had a fear of all dogs. I even had one woman shout that my dog was about to jump up at her because she sat down when I told her too

So Flax, you know better than my local council do you?

If you read my post, I said I phoned the council (on more than one occasion) to complain about dog walkers walking their dogs off lead. I told them I had seen dogs running into people's gardens, running into and/or across the road, running up to other dogs, people, children etc.

I said that one could easily cause an accident by running into or across the road. Or by running at a child that child could be startled and step into the road.

The council told me that unless the road was a designated road then dogs were allowed off lead and the roads where I loved were not designated. I was told this a good few times and by different people at the council

"In this section “designated road” means a length of road specified by an order in that behalf of the local authority in whose area the length of road is situated."

Taken from the Road Traffic Act. It is up to each council which roads they designate but they don't have to do so