Dog leash in park

Rixuraxu

I am a local in Walkinstown, Dublin.
Today I noticed on the gates to Walkinstown Park they have a sign up saying that dogs must be on leashes, no such sign was ever here before.

Does anyone know a number or official I can contact with regards having this taken down?

It only went up because an extremely cranky and aggressive woman there was complaining when my sister and I had our dogs off leash at the very time designated in the park by laws (before 11am) a few days ago. The four dogs are all small and extremely well behaved, and we also had bags to clean up after them if they made a mess which they in fact didn't.

I think this is extremely unfair since the park is predominantly used by locals just to walk their dogs.

GarIT

From a safety perspective they should be on a leash.

Miaireland

Your local Council will be the people to contact but I very much doubt younwill get anywhere with this. If they take down the sign and someone gets bitten by a dog off the lead they are liable to be sued.

tk123

Our park has dub city council signs at the gates that show the allowed times - before 11 and last hour before closing... But also have 'dogs must be on a leash' painted on the ground in places lol. If there's signs stating the off lead times then I'd go with that.

pupster

I am also not happy about this sign.

As a dog owner I pay my licence fee.
I believe the council are responsible to provide me somewhere safe where I can give my dogs the exercise they need.
All responsible dog owners should give there dogs enough exercise to keep there dogs happy and healthy.

If dogs cant get enough exersize they will have no other way to vent any of there frustration. This is denying animal there right to exersize. Not to mention a danger to the public if dogs all the dogs in walkinstown are to have nowhere to exercise freely and burn off there energy with a good run.

I didn't notice any new bins put in the park for dog owners to dispose of there dog poo, No Co.co. want us to carry it all the way around the park and back out on to the main road to dispose of it there.

I think that dogs should only have to be on leash at the agreed times before 11 and at hour before closing. To change the law over night is entirely unfair.

The stupid sign should be removed and a pooper scooper bin put in its place.

Co Co also took away the old entrance gate and moved it to the other end of the avenue. This too was stupid, making people unnecessarily have to walk up a busy road full of traffic with no safe crossing anywhere near.
Shouldn't the Pedestrian entrance be at the housing estate end where the pedestrians come from and not at the factory's.

Who ever is responsible for the planning at walkinstown park has a lot to answer for if you ask me.Ridiculous

Nothing makes me happier than to see my dogs run circles of that park, We have been doing it 25 years now and and I'm not going to stop now.

JustAThought

To my knowledge parks and park users are subject to bye-laws; which cannot be changed without planning permission notices, public consultation and a formal vote at a council meeting . Put your complaint in writing to the county manager, ask for a reply within x days, in writing, and if you don't get one that explains why this ambiguous sign has gone up ; perhaps in contravention of procedures and public bye-laws, then you will be in a position to start causing trouble for them. There is increasingly this kind of unacceptable discrimination against park users who own dogs. The park rangers won't tackle antisocial behaviour, graffiti, littering , drug users or out of control teenagers. They are hitting soft targets who are mostly law abiding & this trend needs to be stopped.

tk123

I'd just continue as normal tbh as long as the off lead times are still up.

JustAThought

tk123 wrote: »

I'd just continue as normal tbh as long as the off lead times are still up.

Very Irish -Do nothing response . And when they take the lead times sign down - and all you have left then is a dogs on lead only sigh- it'll be too late then.

Not to mention legally posted & conflicting messages on official signs.

OldmanMondeo

@ Pupster, the council do not owe you anywhere to walk a dog off a leash. These parks are public places. People who have fear of dogs are also there. I would consider it the same as smokers, no one has the right. Yes I am a Dog owner, Large Boxer. When I walk him he is on the leash, If I want to let him I off I find somewhere safe and known for dogs running free, no easy in Dublin I know, I am also a Dub.

kylith

tk123 wrote: »

I'd just continue as normal tbh as long as the off lead times are still up.

Likewise. I'd let them off lead at the published times, and if challenged point out that it's obviously 'Dogs on lead only, except for at posted off-lead times', which is how it sounds to me.

RainyDay

pupster wrote: »

I didn't notice any new bins put in the park for dog owners to dispose of there dog poo, No Co.co. want us to carry it all the way around the park and back out on to the main road to dispose of it there.

Actually, I think they expect you to bring it home and dispose of it yourself.

Kesha

RainyDay wrote: »

Actually, I think they expect you to bring it home and dispose of it yourself.

1) That would be counterproductive. As someone who doesn't own a dog and wholeheartedly hates canine excrement in parks, I object to the idiocy of such expectation.
2) I was attacked by a dog in the park a few years ago. It was on the leash and it didn't make any difference.
3) I think pupster is a troll ekserzizing his skills here.

DBB

Kesha wrote: »

1) That would be counterproductive. As someone who doesn't own a dog and wholeheartedly hates canine excrement in parks, I object to the idiocy of such expectation.

3) I think pupster is a troll ekserzizing his skills here.

Kesha,
As per the forum charter, if you have a problem with a post, or the behaviour of a poster, please report it. Do not take matters into your own hands on forum, as back-seat moderating is not allowed.
Please also take care that you post in a respectful manner, without using provocative language, such as "I object to the idiocy of such expectation".
Do not reply to this post on thread.
Thanks,
DBB

Whispered

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

These parks are public places. People who have fear of dogs are also there. I would consider it the same as smokers, no one has the right.

Other peoples fears are not my problem, fortunately. Where do we stop? Someone is afraid of off leash dogs so all dogs to be on lead. Someone is afraid of dogs who are on lead so we have a certain part of the park where dogs can't go. What if someone is still nervous knowing dogs are in the vicinity? Honestly, where do we stop catering for peoples irrational fears?

I wholeheartedly agree that off lead dogs approaching people is unacceptable, but I also think that is a separate issue to allowing them off lead or not. Untrained dogs shouldn't be off lead anyway in my opinion, regardless of the bylaws in the area. I think rangers would be better used enforcing regulations against nuisance owners than all owners if you know what I mean.

tk123

JustAThought wrote: »

Very Irish -Do nothing response . And when they take the lead times sign down - and all you have left then is a dogs on lead only sigh- it'll be too late then.

Not to mention legally posted & conflicting messages on official signs.

Ah but another very irish thing is cut-backs. Our park doesn't have full time wardens anymore - just the part time guys in the white van who drive around for 5 mins a couple of times a day - you could set your watch by them lol!

GarIT

Whispered wrote: »

Other peoples fears are not my problem, fortunately. Where do we stop? Someone is afraid of off leash dogs so all dogs to be on lead. Someone is afraid of dogs who are on lead so we have a certain part of the park where dogs can't go. What if someone is still nervous knowing dogs are in the vicinity? Honestly, where do we stop catering for peoples irrational fears?

I wholeheartedly agree that off lead dogs approaching people is unacceptable, but I also think that is a separate issue to allowing them off lead or not. Untrained dogs shouldn't be off lead anyway in my opinion, regardless of the bylaws in the area. I think rangers would be better used enforcing regulations against nuisance owners than all owners if you know what I mean.

Not wanting to be around dogs isn't irrational. Dogs are smelly, they get hairs on you, they lick you, they get their dirty paws on you, their excrement can cause blindness. If I'm walking to work in a suit I shouldn't have to put up with a dogs jumping on me, on a lead or not, I have before gone after owners for dry cleaning costs. A year ago a dog got my trousers filthy 10 mins before my debs, how is that fair? You don't have to have a fear of dogs to think they are disgusting.

Dogs approaching people even when on a lead is unacceptable. Any person should be able to walk through the streets without being made dirty by other peoples animals. I do agree though that some dog owners are miles better than others. Its fair enough that they should be allowed off a lead in the park area at certain hours but there should also be hours where animals aren't allowed in at all.

OldmanMondeo

Whispered wrote: »

Other peoples fears are not my problem, fortunately. Where do we stop? Someone is afraid of off leash dogs so all dogs to be on lead. Someone is afraid of dogs who are on lead so we have a certain part of the park where dogs can't go. What if someone is still nervous knowing dogs are in the vicinity? Honestly, where do we stop catering for peoples irrational fears?

I wholeheartedly agree that off lead dogs approaching people is unacceptable, but I also think that is a separate issue to allowing them off lead or not. Untrained dogs shouldn't be off lead anyway in my opinion, regardless of the bylaws in the area. I think rangers would be better used enforcing regulations against nuisance owners than all owners if you know what I mean.

Having a fear of a dog or any other fear is not irrational. These are called public parks, too many people let their dog off the lead knowing that their little pouch wouldn't hurt a fly, but people who don't know your dog do think differently, both dog lovers and fearing people alike. I have a Boxer, not the friendy looking pouch in the world, I know 100% that he wouldn't hurt anyone, but I also know that people would be afraid of him, so I keep him on a lead when I know there will be people around who I don't know.

As for your second paragraph, I would agree. It would be nice for parks to allow dogs run free for a while, as long as they are supervised. Nuisance owners need to be made take training classes...

borderlinemeath

GarIT wrote: »

Not wanting to be around dogs isn't irrational. Dogs are smelly

Completely depends on the dog, what it's fed, what it's rolled in. There's plenty of smelly people about that I find more offensive than dogs.

they get hairs on you,

Only if you let them. I hardly see how this is relevant if they're running around in a park

they lick you,

Again, only if you let them. Some dogs don't lick people at all. I find it hard to imagine given the general tone of your post, that any dog would want to lick you.

they get their dirty paws on you,

Paws aren't always dirty. The change in your pocket is more likely to have far higher levels of bacteria.

their excrement can cause blindness.

No it doesn't. If the dog is carrying a certain type of worm then if the eggs are in the faeces there's a rare chance that if you put your hands into the faeces and then rub your eyes you might go blind. I don't know what kind of person does this and even if somebody accidentally falls hands first into dog faeces they're hardly going to put their hands in their eyes are they?

If I'm walking to work in a suit I shouldn't have to put up with a dogs jumping on me, on a lead or not, I have before gone after owners for dry cleaning costs.

Honestly, are you carrying chunks of meat around that dogs are jumping on you, licking you, jumping on you? It's not normal for dogs to go around jumping on people. If they're off lead they're far more likely to go and sniff other dogs or benches or trees. Just what is it that makes you so attractive?:D

A year ago a dog got my trousers filthy 10 mins before my debs, how is that fair? You don't have to have a fear of dogs to think they are disgusting.

No, not fair. Similar thing happened to me a few years back, my dog jumped up on me as I was running out the door to the airport, 2 large muddy pawprints on my light pink shirt. As always I was running late so had to iron another one in double quick time. I was angry but these things happen. It doesn't make me thing that dogs are disgusting. In fact I think disgusting is a very strong word to use and is unnecessary.

Dogs approaching people even when on a lead is unacceptable. Any person should be able to walk through the streets without being made dirty by other peoples animals.

Again, is this a regular occurrence or is it a one time event that you keep referring to?

I do agree though that some dog owners are miles better than others. Its fair enough that they should be allowed off a lead in the park area at certain hours but there should also be hours where animals aren't allowed in at all.

Surely that's slightly discriminatory though? Fair enough shops can say 'NO DOGS ALLOWED' because they are private property and also may have H&S restrictions if they sell food. But to tell somebody that a dog isn't allowed in a public place discriminates against dog owners. What if it's a short cut home through a public park?

Binka

Whispered wrote: »

Other peoples fears are not my problem, fortunately. Where do we stop?

I am inclined to agree with this. Part of living in a society is tolerance of other people, their habits, their culture etc. My partner has an irrational fear of people and as a consequence is agoraphobic. We have to deal with this and do not expect the council to clear the streets for us of people because we want to walk in a public area. We, as members of a society have to try and fit in with societal norms. Dog ownership is part of western culture.
Bad dog owners should be reported and dealt with accordingly. I keep my dogs on leads in public places because I feel it is my civic duty to do so.
One of my previous dogs I always had muzzled in public (a dalamation), not because he had to be by law or on the RB list, but because I didn't trust him around children. He was a magnet to kids because of that wretched film. That was my choice to be responsible and i didn't need a sign in a park to tell me what to do.

Whispered

GarIT wrote: »

Not wanting to be around dogs isn't irrational. Dogs are smelly, they get hairs on you, they lick you, they get their dirty paws on you, their excrement can cause blindness. If I'm walking to work in a suit I shouldn't have to put up with a dogs jumping on me, on a lead or not, I have before gone after owners for dry cleaning costs. A year ago a dog got my trousers filthy 10 mins before my debs, how is that fair? You don't have to have a fear of dogs to think they are disgusting.

Dogs approaching people even when on a lead is unacceptable. Any person should be able to walk through the streets without being made dirty by other peoples animals. I do agree though that some dog owners are miles better than others. Its fair enough that they should be allowed off a lead in the park area at certain hours but there should also be hours where animals aren't allowed in at all.

I said that dogs approaching people they don't know/haven't been invited by is unacceptable. Really there is nothing more I can say to your post besides the fact that dogs cannot lick, jump or put their hair on you if they are not near you. Why would you ask me if I think it fair a dog you don't know jumped on you dirtying your suit, when I've already said it's not acceptable?

Fear of a well behaved dog, minding its own business, is irrational. Responsible owners clean up after their dogs, do not allow their dogs approach other dogs/people and will leash their dogs where necessary. So again, it brings up the question of why all dog owners are forced to keep their dogs onlead, rather than the owners who are causing problems with their out of control dogs being asked to leave or else control their dogs.

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

Having a fear of a dog or any other fear is not irrational. These are called public parks, too many people let their dog off the lead knowing that their little pouch wouldn't hurt a fly, but people who don't know your dog do think differently, both dog lovers and fearing people alike. I have a Boxer, not the friendy looking pouch in the world, I know 100% that he wouldn't hurt anyone, but I also know that people would be afraid of him, so I keep him on a lead when I know there will be people around who I don't know

Some fears are irrational. I have a phobia of flying, I know it's irrational, I know it's my own issue and one which isn't reflective of the reality of flying. I think people who fear a dog, who is nowhere near them and showing no interest in them, are being irrational.

I also keep my dogs on a lead when they are around people or dogs they don't know. I do this because they are very excitable and they would probably try to run and greet everybody. As a responsible owner, I need to make sure they don't do this (I also have not very friendly looking dogs). However, if someone has a well behaved dog with good recall and who isn't interested in meeting and greeting everybody, I don't see why they should be forced to keep their dogs on a lead. It is a public park, as you said, so every user should take others into consideration at all times, it's only fair. Dog owners are members of the public, if they can use the park in a way which is not causing hassle for other members of the public, why shouldn't they be allowed. Once again, it's irresponsible owners making things difficult.

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

As for your second paragraph, I would agree. It would be nice for parks to allow dogs run free for a while, as long as they are supervised. Nuisance owners need to be made take training classes...

As far as I know in Switzerland you need to take classes to get a dog license. (I could be wrong, does anyone know?) Imagine how great that would be, a nation of people who have a good idea of how to raise and train a well behaved dog.

sligoface

Its just a sign and probly wont be enforced much, and I'd say most will ignore it anyway. Its not irrational for any one to prefer not to have unleashed dogs around them whether they like dogs or not. I've had plenty of people let their off leash dog come up to mine because their dog 'wouldn't hurt a fly', unfortunately my dog doesn't like strange dogs and thats why I keep him on the leash around other dogs. If he bit any dog id feel horrible even though it may be due to the other dog owner not leashing their dog. You don't have the right to allow yr dog run off leash in a public park no matter how safe you think it is. if you want to ignore that then u have to deal with whatever happens as a result, which could be anything from a fine, to being responsible for an injury to another animal or person or your own animal, to nothing at all.

Rozelia21

sligoface wrote: »

You don't have the right to allow yr dog run off leash in a public park no matter how safe you think it is.

Where would you suggest people with dogs who live in the city and don't have that much of a garden excercise their dogs and let them have a bit of fun and freedom? There are very few places dogs can safely be let off lead and it is very sad because in my opinion they need that extra scope to run around! Have you ever sat down in a park and just watched the offlead dogs? They are so happy to have just that tiny bit of freedom to run and smell things and maybe play with another dog. But you will see that most of these dogs will still stay close to their owner and aren't causing any trouble. Some just play fetch with their owner and ignore everything else, some run ahead smelling everything they can and run back to their owner and repeat, etc etc. Should these dogs and people be punished because a few people are irresponsible and don't train their dogs?

In a perfect world it would be great if there were seperate areas for dogs and people who don't want off leash dogs around them but in most parks in this country their isn't, so unfortunatley we have to share...

There are so many restrictions put on dogs and i hope we don't get anymore. I read somewhere that in London there are 219 areas you can be fined for walking your dog ON a lead.

Niall06

I was over in this park the weekend and noticed that the sign was gone. Anybody any update.