Dogging my freedom to walk
I used to enjoy waking up early before
the madding crowd got up to do my walking exercise, during which time I had
two hours to myself, did about 15,000 steps and went through two public parks
in Salford with the occasional encounter with people I had made an acquaintance
with over time.
I stopped just over a year ago for one
simple reason, the fear of dogs. Dogs that are momentarily out of control or out
of earshot of their owners suddenly run at me because they are not on a
leash and for whatever animal instinct they have, decide to attack me.
I had had so many encounters that I
even bought an ultrasonic dog repellent device with the hope that the
unpleasantness would cause the dog to run from me, but there was no guarantee
it would work when you needed it to.
The law on dogs in public
Against this backdrop was the
inconsiderate dog owner who would first be oblivious to the law and then
project a sense of entitled freedom for their dog. The law requires that dogs
in public places such as parks and footpaths should always be on a leash. It is also
the responsibility of the dog owner to ensure that the public does not feel
threatened by their dog. [GOV.UK:
Controlling your dog in public] [BlueCross:
Dog laws UK]
One morning as I was walking through
the park, the dog walking with its owner bolted towards me and jumped on my leg
up to my thigh, if I did not have track bottoms on, I would have had scratches
on my leg. The encounter was terrifying for the simple reason, I did not know
the dog. The owner however thought I had overreacted to her gentle cuddly puppy
just being friendly to strangers, I did not get as much as an apology.
A few other times, I encountered the
same dog and as it ran at me, I shouted to the owner to call their dog to
order. I began to change the times when I walked through the park, bought the
dog repellent device, and eventually concluded, that it was just too much hassle for
me, the relaxation I was getting from walking was becoming a stressful and foreboding
experience that every dog I saw now looked like a threat to my safety.
Your loving dog, is a public threat
Much as I appreciate the dog owner’s
perspective, it selfishly does not consider that the familiarity the dog has
with its owner is not automatically transferred to strangers. To turn it
around, it is like a stranger jumping out of the bush to pounce on someone
unawares, you do not welcome that violation and fright by patting the
stranger on the head and giving them a kiss, even if that stranger comes from a
family and environment where they are loved, respected, and cherished. A
stranger is a stranger whenever you get familiar with the person.
The same would apply to dogs, no
assumption should be made of a dog being friendly to strangers in public
when they are loving and cuddly at home. That is where the debate should be.
For as long as the dogs are in their homes, the public is safe, but when the
dogs are brought into a public space, they should be under control and
instruction, they should not be menacing, and people should generally not feel
terrified of your dog.
Human rights trump animal rights
My freedom to roam and walk at the
time of my choosing was trammelled because of an irresponsible dog owner with a
sweet dog that was recklessly out-of-control in a public park. Sadly, this is
the case in the current issue about the attacks by the American XL Bully dogs
reported in the news with many injured needing hospital care and one fatality,
in the space of one week.
The counter-advocacy is against the
banning of dogs, but if a dog can weigh as much as an average-sized
being and is not strictly under control in public places, unfortunate
dog attacks can be lethal and life-changing, what is the mitigation for the dog
or the dog owner?
In my case, it was not any of the dogs
on the banned list, it did not make the dog any less an animal as opposed to a
person I could attempt to reason with, in a confrontation. A dog will always
remain an animal whether tamed or wild, and much as I subscribe to animal
rights and the treatment of animals with care and consideration, they cannot in
the face of the law be equal to human beings in terms of the freedom to express
themselves as animals with all the instincts that entails.
Public safety remains preeminent
The core responsibility is with the owner to have good control of their dog; however, the essential point is the public should not be fearful of either the dog being out of control or irresponsible dog owners not understanding the situation of their dog being a possible menacing threat in the public. Public safety is paramount, regardless of what relationship you have with your dog in your home setting.
For that reason, I am in support of
banning the American XL Bully breed and any associated breeds that could
represent a threat to public safety. In addition to that, any dog owner must know the law about dogs in public spaces, they do not have the
same and equal rights as persons and examples of the law must be made of dog
owners who have taken the right to walk roughshod on the law that requires, they are
responsible owners of animals, including dogs. [Petitions: Make XL Bully
a banned dog breed in the Dangerous Dogs Act]
Blog - Rottweilers
are NOT pets
(December 2007)
Blog - A
note on "Rottweilers are NOT pets" (May 2010)