Who brings this to the park?

[MarcoPoloCX]

Was at Greenwich park a few days ago.
This young couple brought a rabbit on a lead to the park. They were sat down having a picnic when a dog caught the scent of it forty to fifty metres away. The dog looked around and spotted the rabbit and darted towards it.
The couple stood up and held the rabbit up while the dog was trying to get at it. The barking attracted some other dogs and a whole load of screaming went on before the dogs were pulled off.
Who in their right mind brings a rabbit to a park that's popular with dogs?

My SIL probably would....

An idiot , that said when I was walking my dog last year there was an old couple on our local Heath ( which is basically a field used by dog walkers ) walking a cat . I had to put my terrier on a lead pretty quick as not even a tennis ball is more interesting than a cat .

A total idiot - especially since, not only would there be lots of dogs who'd want to eat bunny and thus bunny be petrified, but also those rabbit harnesses are dangerous (broken spine & escape common place) and distressing for rabbits anyway.

There's a couple who take a cat on a lead on the tube. My terrier stares at it the whole journey.

Greenwich parks my local park and I let my dog off there all the time. There's no way she'd be recalled from a rabbit That rabbit would be toast.

There was a ferret on a lead at Blackheath train station - my dog kept looking at it and then at me as she had no idea what it was

Words fail me.

My Lurcher would have thought it was lunch in the park!!

I am waiting for some numpty to turn up and say "well your dog should be on a lead if they can't be recalled from a rabbit".

I would imagine it's terrifying for a rabbit also could they pick up disease from being where wild rabbits have been .

Give it time FairyCake, give it time....

A bloke walks round a localish town with a rat on his shoulder. I nearly screamed the first time I saw it as I can't stand rats and mice. I always wonder what would happen if it got to the ground tbh as it makes its way round the owner.

Floral - good point I wonder if they knew any basic rabbit care - like giving bunny vaccinations against myxi and VHD (deadly and common in wild rabbits, so all pet rabbits should be vaccinated).

Can they still catch it even if they've had the jabs , like dogs with the KC vaccine . fleshmarket , I doubt it would get off rats tend to stick with their owners they make excellent pets , I used to walk around the house / garden with ours and never had one that decided to get off .

Floral I think the vaccination should protect fully from myxi and VHD.

Both are actually man-made diseases, that humans deliberately inflicted on wild rabbits as a "pest-control" method. Warning details of diseases Mxyi causes horrible slow agonising death unless a predator gets them (which, in the wild, often happens since it gradually makes them deaf and blind, alongside of nasty things). VHD causes multiple hemorrhages and they die of blood loss. Humans are a cruel species.

Oh that's good news Floral wouldn't like anything to happen to the rat and very relieved to know it wouldn't run towards me.It is a huge rat horrific when you are a wuss like me tbh

There was a family with a rabbit on a lead in our local very doggy park too!
Luckily it was in the on lead bit near the cafe but imagine my shock when I went to sit down on the grass with a cup of tea and my greyhounds!
The parents then proceeded to bugger off to the cafe leaving their DDs (about 7 and 5) to wander about introducing the baby rabbit to people.
I left the tea and scarpered!

Vaccinated Rabbits can still catch Myxi, I had 3 vaccinated buns catch it and all die from it, I was soo angry what was the point in vaccinating at all? apparently they get a lesser form and its easier for vets to treat, but not in my case

Bloody hell, that's ridiculous. My dog would have gone for the picnic before the bunny, but my friends' terrier would have made very short work of it.

Actually I think they had just as much right to bring a rabbit to the park as you do your dog. And all pet owners should be responsible for their pets and ensure they do not distress or harm other people/ animals.

I love Greenwich Park , I've not seen any rabbits there though !

There you are lauriefairycake you predicted it correctly.

Itsallgoingtobefine

No, rabbits are food to dogs/things to chase - only an utter eejit would take a rabbit on a lead to a park where there are dozens of dogs.

It's not about rights, it's about common sense. My dogs recall is great, she's still going to chase rats/ferrets/squirrels/rabbits because she's a DOG.

my eldest son used to walk about with his pet rat in his top coat pocket .christ nows what the nieghbours thought but all his friends thought it pretty cool

No, rabbits are food to dogs/things to chase - only an utter eejit would take a rabbit on a lead to a park where there are dozens of dogs.

If your dog isn't trained well enough to not chase anything small and furry it should be kept in a leash.

Actually I think they had just as much right to bring a rabbit to the park as you do your dog. And all pet owners should be responsible for their pets and ensure they do not distress or harm other people/ animals.

It was the owners of the rabbit causing distress both to the rabbit and others.

Also taking a dog to a park is about enriching their lives and keeping them happy/ meeting their emotional needs.

Taking a rabbit to a park can only be about the owners wanting to show off or being too uneducated or stupid to realise that it is dangerous and distressing to a rabbit to even put them on a harness. Then, as if that wasn't enough, force them to parade about, away from home, in front of predators - rabbits can actually die of a heart attack, break their back etc in a situation like this. Even best case scenario is a seriously distressed rabbit.

But still screw the rabbits welfare rights, the owner should be able to show off whenever and wherever they are - because they are entitled to (actually they are not under animal welfare act 2006). And dogs shouldn't be allowed to have their emotional needs met either - they shouldn't be allowed to go out if they might instinctively chase and eat their prey or even if you might walk somewhere I the vicinity of a selfish bastard tramatising their rabbit idiot causing distress to their rabbit. Can you see yet how ridiculous it is to stay the rabbit owners are entitled to be there with poor rabbit?