One of our texters makes an interesting point today - should we ban dogs not on leashes in our public parks. Of course we should. And fine the pants off the reckless owners. Mair Park is the park mentioned, but it could be any other public area. We are extraordinarily tolerant of dogsin our recreational areas. Within these confines, the adage "there are only bad owners - no bad dogs" rings particularly true. We're talking about scenarios where people are walking their dogs in public places or parks, and don't have them on a leash. I frequently walk my dog up Mt Parihaka, via Mair Park. On a leash, with a plastic bag in my pocket. I forgot the bag once, and had to creatively use sticks and leaves to remove the unplanned deposit from the walking track. Believe me, you only forget the bag once. Nothing annoys me more than seeing someone else's dog's crap on a track. Next on my annoyance list is dogs roaming free. "It's all right, she's okay" is the common response I get from people who see me stop when I see their dog approaching. Sorry, but she is not okay. A) Surely there is a bylaw being breached and B) Why should I have to stop and take preventative action to avoid your animal that you haven't got under control. Especially when my dog is a rambunctious chocolate labrador pup who thinks that the arrival of another dog is an invitation to yank the leash out of my hand, and leap about with the unleashed dog. Don't start me on kids who might not be comfortable with strange dogs running around unleashed. As my erstwhile colleague Karina Cooper (no relation, by the way) said in the Whangarei Report recently, there is a solution to this - use a leash. We have a ridiculous scenario where bikes are banned in areas like Mair Park, but unleashed dogs are tolerated because the areas are not policed. I would suggest that random patrols by dog control officers would put an end to the habit.
