Symbol Owner Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 "Oh No!!!" I can hear you all say:- "Not Colin 'off on one' about dogs again! But stay, gentle readers: I had decided not to post this one: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22853270 Until I saw this today: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22982324 Do you agree, with me, that the nuisance/problem is such that these kind of shock tactics are justified -- or not? Please have your say -- I would really like to know, Thanks, Colin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 I'm a dog owner, and I totally AGREE with and support such "shock" poster/control/fining initiatives against owners who do not clean up the excrement that their animals leave in parks/pavements. They would not allow their human children to s**t in such places without cleaning it up; it is just as unacceptable to expect other people/other peoples children to have to put up the risk of contacting the s**t from their dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Symbol Owner Posted June 20, 2013 Author Share Posted June 20, 2013 BGD - 2013-06-20 3:14 PM I'm a dog owner, and I totally AGREE with and support such "shock" poster/control/fining initiatives against owners who do not clean up the excrement that their animals leave in parks/pavements. They would not allow their human children to s**t in such places without cleaning it up; it is just as unacceptable to expect other people/other peoples children to have to put up the risk of contacting the s**t from their dog. Thanks, Bruce for your usual good sense. you are obviously one of those (few) 'responsible dog owners' that I keep hearing about on here, but rarely encounter in real life............... I like the idea of the 'poover' though, I want one -- not only could I use it to get rid of the regular heaps of the stuff which appear at the end of my drive -- I might be able to use it on the dogs and their owners as well!.................. :D Cheers, Colin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowtelse2do Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Love the idea what that town council in Spain did. I live about 7 mile from Todmorden and can testify to the bloody mess that is left on the towpath of the canal. We use to take the bus or train to either Hebden Bridge or Sowerby Bridge and walk back home on the towpath then over the moorland tracks. We no longer do this for three reasons, people riding their horses and people riding their mountain bikes on the towpath (mountain bikes are for mountains aren't they, and horses for meadows and the bridleways?) and turning it into a quagmire and as usual the culprits leaving the mess behind that their dogs leave. It's not the dogs fault, they can't use a toilet can they. It's now getting so bad around here that before long I will need a bloody sat nav to find my way through the mess to get to the shop's. We have a shortcut down a pathway with some steps to the main road, where the steps are are some handrails with bags of dog muck in them that have been picked up and tied to them 8-) They have done the worst part why the hell can't they take it home and bin it >:-( Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teflon2 Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 I agree that there are a few antisocial dog owners who do not clean up and as a dog owner (2 basset hounds) I'm angry that I and other responsible owners get tarred with the same brush. I and 6+ dog owners meet every morning to walk our dogs and we wind up mainly picking up litter left by humans plastic wrappers glass bottles sandwich packets etc none of which will rot and the most guilty party's are the school run mums whose little darlings are allowed to just drop it where they like. I'ts not unusual to fill a plastic carrier bag which amazingly just appears on the ground. Perhaps these same parents have dogs and do exactly the same. We pick up the litter because we like our area and don't wish to live in a tip. John >:-) ps We also pick up other peoples dog mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antony1969 Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 It's like branding all Muslims terrorists :-D Like John47 says most dog owners are law abiding citizens that obey the rules and respect others and will clean up any mess created by fido :-D T'is only a small minority that give the rest a bad name . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syd Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 And it nearly ALWAYS seems to be the owners of BIG dogs that leave the mess behind. The footpath from our campsite in Benidorm leading to my "Local" paper shop is most definitely getting worse each time that we go there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliveH Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I too support anything that makes the anti-social dog owners face up to their responsibilities. I have in the past picked up poo that another caravanned had allowed his dog to leave on the ground and taken the plastic bag with poo in it to his awning and asked him to deal with it. He was not happy - but then neither was I. Children were on that site and I told him that. On another occasion - I went out with the dogs and my wife stayed in the caravan and she watched as a fellow caravaner let his dog out of the awning where it came over to ours and pooped right outside. Again - he and his wife were not happy at being caught and having to come over and pick it up. What is it with people that have dogs and will not pick up? I take my dogs out for an hour or so each day and of that hour I would say less that 5 min is spent dealing with their poo. Childrens Nappy sacks are best I find, inexpensive and scented. It is like Dog Licenses - I believe we should have all dogs chipped and Licensed. The new rules re chipping are welcome but do not go far enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Symbol Owner Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 To take this discussion on a bit. Firstly Clive, thank you for your wise words, I wish ALL dog owners were as responsible as you. Now take a look at this group of horror stories, folks. They all centre on dog owners dealing with farm animals in the country. We have all heard of what irresponsible ( sometimes even criminal) dog owners can allow (or even cause) to happen among sheep. There have been far too many cases of sheep-worrying, deaths and loss of lambs this year alone, but some of this is even more worrying -- deaths and serious injury to large farm animals -- horses ponies & cows. These are a farmer's livelihood, that, again, is being threatened by animals which often are not on public rights of way but just beng walked unthinkingly in farmer's fields -- their workplace for heaven's sake! Surely that is trespassing? It seems to me that the 'right to roam' campaign has affected dog walkers too! The majority of these links are very sad -- because they record the deaths of unthinking ( or unknowing) dog-walkers. I was brought up in the country, with a small stock-rearing/beef producing farm on one side and a small-holding (Pigs + chickens) on the other. I am, therefore, aware of the dangers of walking a dog (that is unknown to the animals) among a herd of cows. It seems that the message ( and the advice to get your dog off the lead as fast as possible if you unexpectedly find cows in a field) has not 'got through' to some dog -walkers, very unfortunately. Even a man who has kept a highly-trained dog all of his working life -- the former Home Secretary, David Blunkett, was 'caught out', but fortunately was not seriously hurt. Just give these 'links' a browse,folks, I don't know the answer, I'm not a dog-owner -- but surely something has to be done. The police officer identified one part of the overall problem -- the sheer munber of dogs in this small country -- about 8 million (!) currently, I think. Clive is right to identify the lack of neccessary legislation/regulation. Micro-chipping is a very good start, but more control needs to happen -- if that includes impounding and humanely destroying large numbers of dogs, so be it. Any way, take a look at these and share what you think with the rest of us:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8320595.stm http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13944825 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-14755592 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-17625636 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-17886730 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-19909801 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-21056103 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-22678594 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8216869.stm Thanks, Colin. P.S. Do have a listen to the interview with David Blunkett -- he is talking a lot of sense. I have a feeling that one reason for the huge increase in incidents involving death/injuries due to dogs and their owners interacting with cattle, is the increase, by cattle-farmers, in the practice of 'running' Cows, Calves , and sometimes bulls, together, in family groups -- people need to be aware of this because the danger is much greater than if they are in a field of milking cows or bullocks on their own. C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Symbol Owner Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 CliveH - 2013-06-21 12:00 PM What is it with people that have dogs and will not pick up? I don't know, any more than you do, Clive, but here's another one that 'gets' me:- What is it with people that have dogs, do pick up and then hang the filthy bags on trees or bushes? that one really does disturb me, what kind of person would even consider doing that? -- truly disgusting. Colin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 To reduce the number of dogs, rather than impounding them and killing them, after all that is what it means, it would be better to make it a requirement to neuter them so that the numerous people who breed dogs just to make a mint from selling them wouldn't be able to do so, that way you would gradually cut the number of dogs and also weed out a lot of the people who think they are a 'cash cow'. There will be some who would then not want their neutered dogs but at least it would reduce the 'problem' in the longer term. Oh, if you think the dog poo problem is bad here, go to France, they even have dog poo patrols with giant vacuum cleaners!!! 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Symbol Owner Posted July 3, 2013 Author Share Posted July 3, 2013 Mel B - 2013-07-02 7:47 PM Oh, if you think the dog poo problem is bad here, go to France, they even have dog poo patrols with giant vacuum cleaners!!! 8-) You must have missed this at the beginning of my post, Mel, Hastings Borough Council have been using a 'Poover' since 2011! I need one for all of the dog's mess that the 'responsible' dog-owners of my town allow their mutts/pooches to deposit at the beginning of my drive! >:-) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22853270 As you are well aware, Mel, I could 'go on' for ages about the dreadful dog problems in this benighted and misguided country -- and you and I are not going to agree on many points I deem,but you have it mainly right about the neccessity of controls on breeding -- that really is getting to the heart of the problem -- 8 million of the creatures is the current estimate -- over 200,000 cases last year of people being bitten by dogs (often their owners) and nearly 7,000 of those hospitalized! Something has got to be done. These animals surely can't all be retrained or 're-homed' -- there surely has to be an all-out programme of dog eradication by what the Americans refer to as; 'Euthanasia', i.e. painlessly putting them down. A final 'horror story', Mel, this one really horrified me, because it just goes to show how irresponsible dog owners can be -- they just don't seem to understand that the beasts are only a tad away from the wild animal -- and have the same 'wild' instincts buried inside the doggy 'psyche' as their ancestors.There goes another poor child (like me 60-odd years ago) who was lured by an adult into believing that the 'lovely doggy' was friendly and wanted a pat/stroke, only to be disfigured for life ( in my case, luckily, just a few bite-marks on the hand) by a vile beastly wild animal reverting to type. ALL dogs can be dangerous and all can be unpredictable -- when will people learn? DON'T EVER put the beasts in the way of children, is surely the message: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-23098019 End of 'rant' Mel, gald to see that you got home safely from your adventures, Colin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 Hi Colin What happened at the school is awful. The way it was done was just asking for trouble though - to let a dog get all excited, running around, jumping about with children watching it and no doubt laughing and shouting etc nearby, then to expect the dog to be still whilst it is stroked by the same children, one after another, was absolutely stupid. From the description it sounds like it MAY have been an accident on the dogs part as he just 'flicked his head' round and caught the child, but the child should NEVER have been put in the position he was in the first place. As the dog was put down there is no way to know whether something sparked this - or whether it was normal behaviour. Using your definition of "an irresponsible dog owner" I am therefore NOT one of those as I fully appreciate that ANY dog, even my own, has the ability to cause serious damage to someone, intentionally or not. Even when playing with our dogs accidents do happen and I have occasionally had a nip when one of them turns round quickly and catches me, not intentionally I hasten to add, but purely by accident. To give the other side of the coin I'll relay an experience we had on holiday. We were staying at a motorhome aire in Erfurt a short distance away from a park specifically for dogs to be exercised in - yes really! We had to walk down a long pathway which was fenced with gardens on one side and a sports ground on the other. As we were walking back we were followed by a large group of primary school children with their teachers who, I assume, had been to the sports ground. The children gradually caught us up and Tazzy, who absolutely adores children (she used to live with a young girl) stood there for them, but no one stroked her, so she rolled over onto her back with her legs in the air looking as cute as she could, but still no stroking although the kids had gathered around her. I went over to one of the school teachers who spoke some English and explained about Tazzy and her love children and the teacher then told the children it was okay to stroke her, gently, so as not to frighten her ... Tazzy was in heaven!!! The photos say it all really ... both the kids and Tazzy thoroughly enjoyed the experience - the kids didn't frighten her and she was very relaxed. You probably won't approve but if we were all worried about 'what might happen' in life, we wouldn't do anything at all. As an aside to show that you cannot totally know ANY creature fully, be it a dog, a cat, a human, or even a rabbit ... I used to have a Netherlands dwarf rabbit, he was a lovely little beastie and when we went away for a holiday the neighbour agreed to look after him for us. When we got back the neighbour was embarrassed to say that he was frightened of the rabbit! For us he was fine but when our neighbour tried to feed him etc the rabbit would charge out of bed box, grunting, snarling and trying to bite and scratch him! We asked him to demonstrate so he tried to feed him and sure enough out came this 'ferocious' rabbit who thought he was 10ft tall!!! You may laugh, or you may think that this is totally irrelevant to the 'dog' debate, but it isn't - ANY living creature can do things that you do not expect and you need to be mindful of that. I could also tell you the story of a strapping chap who was absolutely terrified of his 2 pet rats until I tamed them for him ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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