Dogs loose in estates

wosheen

A few residents in my estate let their dogs loose all the time. and I don't mean just "off the lead" - some are out all day, put out the front door in the morning and let back in late in the evening - others are left out for 2-3 hours at a time. They wander about, resting on grassy areas, looking for handouts, sometimes playing about, and don't seem to stray from the estate. However, sometimes I've seen them left outside on cold, rainy evenings, with no shelter until 10 or 11pm - soaked to the bone and smelly, despite lovely collars around their necks. And they can be a hazard for people driving through the estate as they don't really check to the right and left before they cross roads :rolleyes: and while most seem friendly, if a child were to get rough with one it's hard to say how a dog will react even if he's the gentlest in the world....

But i just don't get this. I feel sorry for the dogs, and a bit angry people would just leave them out all day - they could get hurt, or inadvertently hurt someone else. I appreciate that if the dogs were left in a back garden all day they might be bored/lonely, but I just don't think letting them loose in the estate is the solution.

Thoughts?

seriouslysweet

Two words-dog warden, health and safety issue plus cruelty to the dogs.

wosheen

Agreed, seriouslysweet, but I'm curious if other people have this happening in their estates? I just haven't really come across it before.

softmee

There is at least few dogs wondering around Doughiska. With collars, name, phone number -but i never see those dogs with owners. Once i've checked the phone number (after i saw how the dog almost got killed by a car) and i called the number on his collar - i was told
"he's fine, he's fine -will find his way back home" and when i tried to say something this person just hang up.
So - i really dont know why some people do have dogs if they never have time for them and they dont really care whats going on with them.

Sconsey

I wish I lived in your estate, it reminds me of when I was growing up, dogs were left out during the day up and down the street.

To be honest most dogs are perfectly capable of staying out in the elements all day without suffering, and it's better for them than keeping them locked up indoors all day.

As for the health and safety thing...well attatudes change over time and I guess most people these days think an dog wandering round the street is a deadly danger to society, personally I disagree. You could point out some poor unfortunate that got mauled by a dog at some stage but they are few and far between.

Anyway, it does sound like your estate is fairly unique in that respect, hope it continues. People that diskile dogs will disagree with me, understandable.

softmee

-oh and i was walking one day with my dog through Ballybane near Castlepark Road and i actually got scared because 3 or 4 big dogs (greyhound and some mastiff kind of dog) started following us and harassing my dog -they almost attacked him.

softmee

Sconsey wrote: »

I wish I lived in your estate, it reminds me of when I was growing up, dogs were left out during the day up and down the street.

To be honest most dogs are perfectly capable of staying out in the elements all day without suffering, and it's better for them than keeping them locked up indoors all day.

I know what you mean.:) I remember those times too, when my grandfathers dog was out all day -fighting with some dogs and making other pregnant , but i think its better to take them for proper walks and have them under control.

Discodog

Sconsey wrote: »

I wish I lived in your estate, it reminds me of when I was growing up, dogs were left out during the day up and down the street.

To be honest most dogs are perfectly capable of staying out in the elements all day without suffering, and it's better for them than keeping them locked up indoors all day.

As for the health and safety thing...well attatudes change over time and I guess most people these days think an dog wandering round the street is a deadly danger to society, personally I disagree. You could point out some poor unfortunate that got mauled by a dog at some stage but they are few and far between.

Anyway, it does sound like your estate is fairly unique in that respect, hope it continues. People that diskile dogs will disagree with me, understandable.

What rubbish. You forget road accidents, people that are genuinely scared of dogs, dog poo everywhere, noise nuisance from barking & illegality.

Out of sight is out of mind & out of control. The worse part is that the dogs get punished & never the owners.

OP I have seen the same in many estates.

fergiesfolly

While dogs running loose might be problematic, try having horses running around your estate.
Takes it to a whole new level.

ValerieR

Sconsey wrote: »

As for the health and safety thing...well attatudes change over time and I guess most people these days think an dog wandering round the street is a deadly danger to society, personally I disagree. You could point out some poor unfortunate that got mauled by a dog at some stage but they are few and far between.

Anyway, it does sound like your estate is fairly unique in that respect, hope it continues. People that diskile dogs will disagree with me, understandable.

Lol ... Even if you like dogs ... there's nothing pleasant about picking their dejections from your front lawn ... or not being able to have the front door open without them strolling in ... or trying to convince your friends who are afraid of dogs to come and visit you ... or having your kids playing in your front garden without having them facing dogs which, for all you know, haven't seen the vet in their lifetime ...

Having a dog is like having kids and many others things in life. It's a responsibility. People should respect others by making sure their actions are not bothering their environment.

OP, I would suggest the dog warden too.

V

biko

I used to live close to Benson the dog up by Presentation, a reddish dog with whitish face like. He was well known in the area, just wandered around all day. Passed away in 2009 I think.

It seems to me it's a rural thing that still lives on in the city. Unfortunately there's many more dangers now, cars etc.

gaeilgegrinds1

I remember Benson, when we used visit my aunt we saw him! What a dote! However, as a Mammy, dogs away please!

Das Kitty

There are a few dogs around here who are regularly out running around. They don't really bother me, but their crap does. So disgusting. That said many who bring theirs out on leads don't pick up after them even though kids are always playing in the green areas.

Placebo Effect

I'm with Sconsey on this, political correctness, sterile , 1984 here we come...

Live & let live..I reckon dogs are much happier out & about all day, as long as they have food & shelter at night ..

If dogs could talk & you gave them the choice..I wonder which option they'd prefer

8 out of ten I'd say.

Discodog

Placebo Effect wrote: »

1984

More like 1894 !

inisboffin

Is there not some sort of happy medium, particularly with the older dogs in the quiet estates. I know some of the dogs that have been around for years. They sit in the garden mostly, everyone would know them. One gorgeous old lab has his daily walk over to the green area which is quite wild and there are trees. He has his little 'patch' that he stays in. Another owner knows her dog will go wandering off so walks him, and he also sits in the walled garden.

Each dog as a different personality, just like humans! If they're prone to doing business in a garden, not in leaves under a tree, or going up to kids that don't know them, then walk them always on a leash. If they've grown up wandering between a few houses, and if there isn't traffic, then why not let them keep doing that?

lezza

dog warden

inisboffin

lezza wrote: »

dog warden

Yeah, but in two decades, I have *never* seen a warden in this area, but have seen them on the main road and in town plenty of times. Sometimes people ring them..I don't think anyone round here felt they needed to ring them.

Placebo Effect

inisboffin wrote: »

Yeah, but in two decades, I have *never* seen a warden in this area, but have seen them on the main road and in town plenty of times. Sometimes people ring them..I don't think anyone round here felt they needed to ring them.

In a nutshell..community.

MyKeyG

There are three off them at my feet now and I'd love if they went off on a little adventure cos they're doin my head in. The two ladies are in heat and the poor fella doesn't know what to do God love him.

In all seriousness though a lot of the dogs in my area are given free reign but tend not to use it. We live beside a main road and there's one or two dogs that'll come out on the path and bark at a few cars but that's it, they don't stray. I think you see it mostly in the estates with a big green in the middle off the main roads.

wosheen

Yeah, I love dogs myself, and I wouldn't really like to call the dog warden for the same reason inisboffin, there's a big old lab and he doesn't go very far just pads around his grassy area or lies in parking spots if they are sunny And there's another fella that comes around looking for belly scratches and treats, he's a great personality. People in the estate know them and there's no bother with them.

But there's one, looks like a boxer but she's not I don't know the breed, seems grand and sweet but not sure if a boxer-like dog should be let roam around like that.... and the fella who was left out in the cold and rain, maybe he was happier to be outside rather than in, but he was soaked to the bone.

And BTW i've never seen a dog warden anywhere around Galway??

dafunk

When I lived in knocknacarra I saw this alot, it's a real galway thing as far as I can tell, to leave your dogs out to play in the traffic all day. It's dangerous.

SinewaveSurfer

oh noes, a dog. how inconvenient that I must avoid them with my car as I drive through my estate. Must tell the internet about this.

Discodog

Well I know of one upmarket "estate" near Menlo that has quite a few of these, been there a long time part of the furniture, dogs. The houses are surrounded by the typical low wall & my friend has the lovely job of removing, typically 20-30 dog turds per week from his lawn - even though he doesn't have a dog. This has to be done every day, especially in the summer, to avoid the kids coming in covered in it. Dear old Shep never craps in his own garden & his owner knows this - it's one reason for letting him roam a bit.

Any Galway Vet will tell of the dogs that have been killed or injured & how, according to their owners, they never strayed. They will tell you of cats that have been killed by a neighbour's dog that never chases cats. If your dog is out of your sight it is also out of your control.

My neighbours dog was one of those that like to sit in the front garden watching passers by until it was killed. It had not crossed the road in 8 years but once was enough. The mother taking a car full of kids to school who hit it was devastated as were the children. The car coming in the opposite direction clipped a wall & have claimed against the dog owner.

There is this idea that Vets & animal welfare people are the killjoys who want Shep to stay at home. The truth is that they often deal with the consequences.

LC_x

Who let the dogs out?

Discodog

LC_x wrote: »

Who let the dogs out?

Great to see a newbie to Boards expounding such wisdom