"Dangerous Dogs" Unleashed on Kingsway
I am rather upset at seeing certain dogs not on leads in Kingsway. There are 2 in particular which have caught my eye:
1 is a black Rotweiller that I’ve seen quite a few times now. On one occassion my partner said “it looks old and harmless”, until he saw our dog (on a lead)… he never moved so quick! Went from looking old to looking as agile (and scary) as anything! This worries me as I have a smallish dog, a young child and live where other families let their children play outside.
The second is a Staffordshire Terrier. No lead again (and if you read the ‘papers today, a “Staffy” ripped out part of a 7-year-old’s throat)!
I feel it is the owners responsibility to keep their dog on a lead and the local Community Police Patrol’s responsibility to intervene if they see it happening. So far - every time I’ve been about to mention it - they’ve gone by the time I’ve got out of the house (apart from the incident with the Rotweiller… which was shocking)!
I read the previous post on this subject (Kingsway Canine Concerns) and noted the comment posted by Clive which said:
“I found this information about the law regarding this subject:
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
UK legislation introduced in response to various incidents of serious injury / death due to attacks by aggressive / uncontrolled dogs, (particularly on children).
These incidents received heavy media coverage, causing much public concern and - ultimately - resulted in this legislation.
Four breeds in particular were targeted by the Act: Pit Bull Terriers (Note: ‘Pit Bull’ is not a breed but refers to several different breeds), Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa.
The legislation makes it illegal to own any of these dogs without specific exemption from a court, and the dogs must be neutered, muzzled and kept on a lead in public. They must also be registered and insured and receive microchip implants.
With regard to where to report them, I looked around and it seems like it’s the responsibilty of the Police, but you could also contact the National UK Canine Helpline on 0844 856 3303 to ask for advice / guidance.”
I hope someone who reads this can make the owners aware, or any other dogs seen not to be not on their leads… I would hate to come back here to report that something terrible has happened to my little one (or anybody’s)!
This post was submitted by MissC.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:17 am
Hello
As a Staffy owner I would just like to comment on this matter. I totally agree with MissC.
There seems to be a lot of dogs in Kingsway which don’t have leads on, and - in the past - many have run up to me and my dog (while he’s on the lead), and scared us half to death!
There have also been incidents where dogs have attacked my Staffy while he’s been on the lead. These were not "dangerous dogs" (officially), but a Labrador and a Collie, (my dog just hid behind me)!
My point is, please don’t judge every dog by his/her breed, all dogs can be dangerous. Both me and my partner have been bitten by dogs, again both were Labradors, but this doesn’t mean that all Labradors have a nasty streak! I must admit I am nervous when walking him in Kingsway, not because I’m worried about him attacking other dogs, but the other way ’round!
Staffy’s and Rotweillers are not included in the dangerous dogs act that is mentioned, they dont - by law - have to be on a lead; they have the same rights as all dogs to be able to run free.
If this is a problem - which I feel it is in Kingsway Village because of the large amount of dogs - maybe there could be an arrangement for a particular area in Kingway (like one of the meadows which are fenced in), where dogs can be let off their leads, making all other areas "a dogs on lead zone".
Knowing I could walk him without being confronted by other dogs off the lead would be brill’…
on the other hand - if I could let him off to run free in a designated space without feeling I am upsetting anybody - that would be good too.
Maybe this is something for the Kingsway Villiage association to think about.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:55 am
What a load of tosh….
For starters this thread is posted in Crime and ASB, for this I’m sure that there has to be a crime or something anti social. If you are saying that walking a dog without a lead is anti-social, then, mention every single dog that you have seen as anti-social without a lead or what I suspect is that you have an inground prejudice against the afore-mentioned dogs and that due to your opinion you believe that walking these dogs without a lead is anti-social!
Dogs are very social animals, and unlike humans who like to take time to get to know each other, dogs love to immediately meet other dogs and to sniff them.
I’m sure that the owners of the 2 x dogs mentioned above would not let them off their lead if they are a menace to society.
To be brutally honest if it was me walking a dog without a lead and you came out of your front door and told me to put the dog on a lead, I would probably just ignore you anyway.
July 15th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
As a responsible Rottweiler owner myself, I feel that your comments are totally unjust.
I do walk my dog off the lead at times, but will always put him on his lead when unknown dogs and owners are in the area. Often people are sceptical of rotties because of their reputation and size, but should you see me in the street just ask to be introduced to my softie and I will help you get over this misconception.
As previously stated it is not against the law to walk a dog off their lead, and until it becomes so I will continue to do it.
I have met many dog owners on Kingsway estate, and none of them are prejudice against him once they meet him, I find that it is people who have smaller breeds that pose a greater risk to society (i.e Terriers/Jack Russells) but this is my own opinion as a dog owner who has met many different breeds, from what I have seen, these breeds tend to bark and jump much more than Rotties
Remember apart from the small variances in breed behaviour, dogs become like their owners, a chav that ownes a staffy and wants it to be agressive will teach it to be agressive, whereas an owner who wants a loving member of the family who is good with Dogs/Cats/Kids will bring this out of their pet (As is mine).
Most importantly dogs need Stimulation/company (Human and other Canine) and love to become a trustworthy member of the family, this it seems is a problem these days for many dog owners, so many dogs are just left in a kitchen/bedroom/conservatory/garden locked up all day, then let out in the back garden for 10 mins a day, and treated like a toy. This treatment will bring out the worst in any dog and give the rest of us sensible owners a bad name.
July 15th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Hi HM,
Re:
I choose the categories to list posts in! I believe this was originally submitted to "News" but I moved it here
I don’t have any kind of prejudices regarding dog breeds or anything else (except I hate spiders - lol). As I said before (in the other discussion on this subject), I don’t really have much of an axe to grind because I don’t have a dog, but I have seen a few dogs (including a Staff’) wandering around without either a lead or an owner in site!
That worries me (as would any breed of dog left unattended in the vicinity), and I must say I do get nervous when dogs approach my (4 year old) daughter and the accompanying owner makes no move to restrain them! It could very well be that the dog is a big softy but I don’t like to take any sort of chance where she’s concerned.
Hello MissF,
Thanks for joining us and joining in
I suppose - as you say - the obvious issue with Rottweillers is their size and general appearance (they look scary - lol) but I guess that - just like people - the breed is not as important as the personality or character, which is - as you say - strongly influenced by the owner.
July 15th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Clive,
Thanks for that. One little question as you seem to be the moderator, is there any way that the title of the thread could be modified? Currently it reads dangerous dogs unleashed, now I agree that this is the level of journo’ that we could expect from a red top, but as I can see from browsing the site, this is a constructive site with levelled balance of views. As somebody stated earlier, neither do these dogs fall into the Government category of dangerous dogs, and there hasn’t been any incidents of dangerous behaviour, could I ask that you modify the title to ‘Dogs unleashed on Kingway’ or something of that ilk.
Thanks MissF
July 15th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Hi MissF,
Thanks for the kind words (about the site).
I’m afraid that the title was the "red top journo" in me dying to get out
The "dangerous" wasn’t intended as a legal classification, it just reads better
As it’s been here for some time, and is relevant (if not taken literally) I’m inclined to leave it… Wordpress, the internet and many other aspects of the site make changing an established thread title a pain in the @&&
But I have added quotes around the "Dangerous Dogs", I hope that will help a little!
July 18th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Hello all,
I agree with MissF in that behaviour breeds behaviour. My sister has a pure breed Staffie and she is the loveliest dog ever (and believe me when I say I’m not a huge fan of dogs - no disrespect to dog lovers)! My sister cares for her dog extremely well and this shows in the way her dog is around others (human and canine).
As long as dogs have responsible owners I cannot see the issue; don’t be so quick to assume bad things are going to happen.
July 27th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Hi Guys,
Excuse my twopenneth as I am not a resident but a dog lover.
I am not sure if this thread is in relation to open areas or roadsides but the following info may help:
The Road Traffic Act 1998 - It is an offence to have a dog on a designated road without it being held on a lead.
Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 - It is a criminal offence (for the owner and/or the person in charge of the dog) to allow a dog to be ‘dangerously out of control’ in a public place, a place where it is not permitted to be, and some other areas. A ‘dangerously out of control’ dog can be defined as a dog that has injured someone or a dog that a person has grounds for reasonable apprehension that it may do so.
Something as simple as your dog chasing, barking at or jumping up at a person or child could lead to a complaint, so ensure that your dog is under control at all times.
Please note the Dangerous Dogs Act applies to ALL dogs and not just the four breeds/types mentioned.
And btw I love Rotties and Staffs in the right hands! I have no prejudice - I’m a dog trainer so see all breeds every week and there is good and bad everywhere. Part of my job is to educate and examine (for the KC) people in responsible dog ownership and I agree with the comments that well managed dogs are generally well mannered dogs.
Kind regards,
Claire
Animal Magic - Gloucester