Most days I see a certain teenager walk his dog through the park. Never on a
lead, it waddles beside him as macho, musclebound and menacing as its
scrawny owner aspires to be. When it squats to crap, the boy looks away,
puffing on his roll-up. No one tells him to clear up, not even the bolshie
matrons at the swings, certainly not other dog folk who never, in my
experience, police their own. I can't tell whether it's a “pitbull type”, as
proscribed vaguely and uselessly by the Dangerous Dogs Act or just a
Staffordshire or an English bull terrier, whose kind will next week grace
Crufts.
Anyway, it isn't the breed of dog but the breeding of the owner that makes the
park fearful. A hoody with a nasty mutt is a cliché of urban unease,
encapsulating feral “chavs”, Dave's “broken society”, gang battles,
terrorised streets and rag-doll bodies of tiny ghosts: Cadey-Lee Deacon,
Archie-Lee Hirst, Ellie Lawrenson.
The Lib Dems are backing a cert this week in their demand for a review of dog
legislation. Nothing is more guaranteed to raise the nation's hackles,
provoke unhinged opinions, eventually resulting in colander-like laws. While
there are 11 million dog owners - a powerful lobby - I'd bet these are
equalled if not exceeded by dog-haters. Now the tobacco ban has routed the
smokers, the doggy folk are next in line. The outraged and self-righteous
have changed focus. Every new terrible dog attack becomes a conduit for
wider prejudice: ban more breeds, bring back licences, castrate the lot -
and their owners! And here I'm quoting the genteel readers of Times Online.
The problem is that nothing draconian works. The Dangerous Dogs Act merely
banned three particularly scary fighting breeds plus those found to have
pitbull characteristics. Which is like saying you have a “Ross Kemp-type”
husband if he is burly and bald: temperament and behaviour are not taken
into account. And so respectable owners cannot, as the Kennel Club wishes,
voluntarily register their animals and promise to control them. Instead they
risk, at any time, their dogs being snatched and then having to prove to a
court they are not dangerous. It does not stop pitbulls being bred and sold
(you could buy a pup online today for £350) but means that many will be
concealed from the law, kept mostly indoors, unsocialised, pent-up and
potentially more vicious.
Besides, the three children named above were all killed by rottweilers, which
aren't proscribed by the Act and, even if they were, the bad-asses would
quickly move into Staffies or mastiffs or German shepherds, which just as
surely can be goaded into brutality. Indeed no dog is truly wholesome:
Isabelle Dinoire had the world's first facial transplant after her nose,
lips and chin were chewed off by her labrador, despite all that breed's
soft-mouthed, blind-assisting, toilet-roll-unravelling PR.
So bring back the dog licence! And not at the quaint 37p but something
punitive: £50, £100, £500... Except that only 40 per cent of owners ever had
one when it was abolished in 1987. And those possessed of devil dogs are
unlikely to queue patiently at the Post Office. And even if they fail to
comply they are unlikely to be punished: current law insists that all dogs
must wear a collar and tag, but police don't have the manpower to chase
naked mutts. Even the omnipresent signs threatening owners with fines for
not scooping their poop are almost worthless. Last year 3,731 dog-fouling
penalties were issued across the entire country: more unbagged turds are
squeezed out in London parks every single day.
Besides, is this plan not merely a licence to hate? Do you really want to
bankrupt an old lady for the company of her arthritic pug? It depends
whether, when watching a dog gambol through a wood, you behold a joyous,
innocent, unjaded, furry scrap of life or crapping machine about to menace
your toddler. Are owners merely doughty folk enjoying care and companionship
or selfish saddos who see green spaces only as potential toilets? There is
no middle way. Our capacity to live and let live, to tolerate the behaviour
of others, is diminishing, even if their actions impinge only marginally on
our own.
And a new type of dog owner has emerged who, just like the hated hoodies, buys
animals for street status - except the desired effect is not terror but envy
at their vogueish good taste. A lap-rat suggests you are high maintenance
but worth it; a labradoodle that you are quirky, leisured and rich. With
their natty doggy accessories and 40m retractable leads tripping you up on
the pavement, these dogs are ego-extensions to which all human courtesies
must be granted. A friend suggested we drink our coffee outside the café (it
was January) rather than leave her terrier lonesome outside. Paying at a
till in Habitat recently, I shooed a lurcher who was snuffling through my
shopping to receive a laser glare from its owner. She reminded me of a
certain type of new parent who changes a nappy near the supper table then
gets peeved when you retch.
So parents and dog owners, both puffed up with entitlement, are at war over
our public spaces. And the dog-haters are winning. Camden council tried to
prevent dogs from running unleashed in all of its parks, Westminster is
aiming at the same. From today, thanks to Wansbeck council, dog walkers on
Newbiggin beach will be banned at all times of year. Other beaches are set
to follow. In my South London 'hood, Goose Green, a tiny sward of open land
was made dog-free for one summer, in which picnics didn't end with parents
cleaning the latticed underside of trainers with a stick. Then the dog lobby
fought back, argued that once children and dogs shared this land. The ban
was quashed, parental fury boils over, picnics cancelled.
It is difficult to broker a peace. A pitbull owner - suburban,
college-educated - tells me, while she knows the breed is “too much dog” for
most, and she'd never ever leave him alone with children, her own animal is
a daffy, loving baby. In the park, as I wipe my stinking running shoes on a
verge, I glare at a random passing dog owner. Not my fault, she says,
pulling Tesco bags from her special ghastly dog-walking coat.
But the prevailing logic is that the only way to keep out poopers is also to
ban the scoopers. The challenge of legislative reform is how to punish the
bad doggies without prejudice burning down the whole damn kennel.
Janice Turner is wrong to say that Ellie Lawrenson was killed by a Rottweiler, when it is well-known that she was killed by an illegally owned American Pit Bull, banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. This point may seem petty, but I think its important to get your facts straight.
Laura, Belfast,
i agree with becky smith thats totaly true i would like to say all ov the dogs you have said i have been around in my life and have never seen any sighn ov aggresion and you say this person in a hoodie walking in the park with his dog scared you this person must have total control over his dog if it stays by him and his dog is being walked you said its muscular and no mention ov under weight sounds like a good dog owner to me i have 2 boxers and i am 24 and walk my dogs 2 times a day when i walk them i also put a hoody on its called comfy clothes to walk your dog in i am tired ov people putting lables on people or dogs just because ov how they look if it was about colour ov skin you would be called racist pople seem to forget about all the good things dogs do for people hello lead the blind and they also benifit autistic people as i foster a autistic boy and the doctors say a dog helps with there facial expresions there are more dogs that save lives than kill
Tracy Jenkins , bristol,
The biggest problem I see when walking is the amount of litter dumped everywhere. Why not ban people as well from Public spaces.
Yes thats stupid as well...
Fred, London, England
I agree with Janice... ban all dogs from London - for the sake and health of the dogs. She needs to get out more [from London that is], there is a whole big world called UK where dogs are working and an essential part of life. A good idea I thought of was when they build the extra lane on the M25, they could erect a 12ft electric fence at the same time. This would stop any stray dogs getting in and coming to harm and the "inmates" would need to give a good reason for leaving the newly named city -THE TOWER OF BABBLE .
alice plant, worcester, uk
In 2005/2006 67 children were killed by another person (84% by one or other of their parents), in 2004 the child deaths due to road accidents were 166 so in my book if you want to prevent the most child deaths you ban cars first closely followed by being a parent.
I really think people need to get things into perspective. Yes it is tragic when a child dies but we seem to accept the horror of a child dying in a car accident without all being up in arms about banning cars yet one child is killed by a dog and all dogs should be banned?
Becky Smith, Glastonbury, England
Dogs are intelligent and loyal and should be spared the horrors of the brutal owners who abuse them.
Ban these people for life from owning dogs, not the ridiculous 3 - 5 years handed out by the courts.
Mary Day, Aylesbury, UK
I live in a village in Scotland and there is a lot of "doggy" people here, some are responsible and clean up the dogs mess, but when you challenge the ones that dont, they either give you a mouthfull of cheek or look really embarrased ( rightly so). Its not the dogs fault, its their owners! and they should be made to pay for the street cleaners!!!
Lorraine Beckett-Murray, Garelochhead, Scotland
Maybe if the media stopped perpetuating the notion that these 'naturally agressive' dogs give their owners yob credibility we'd reduce the problem.
Amanda, Surbiton,
It's the old story of enforcement of the existing laws. The reluctance to pursue the fines etc. is the nub of the problem. The last time I checked human beings are the ones that should be first on the hierarchy of the theoretically protected societal rights not animals.
L.A. Seman, Broadview Heights, Ohio
Aye, Pete from Guidford, how long do think it would take for the non-pickeruppers to lobby against the CCTV cameras as an invasion of their right to privacy? Having lived in Paris for four years, I am now very versed at looking where I put my foot, and putting my foot where I look.
Charles Lewin, Helsinki, Finland
Under the same logic, 'its not guns which kill, it's people', means we should all be allowed to have guns. I know I wont shoot people, but that does not mean the person who see's the gun wont freak out. But hey, surely it's my human right?
Arthur, Newcastle,
I don't need to get into the 'dogs or cats' argument. I have no reserve about my opinion that, most dogs have a jaw pressure (pounds per square inch) enough to seriously injure or kill a child. Someone tell me I'm wrong.
If there needs to be a line drawn I am happy. I only need one or two beaches, to take my son to in any given year, for him to experience the sea without the shite. I am now prepared, to have to drive to a walk (even though I live in the country), where he isn't going to be barged by illegally unleished dogs. If I am allowed this I will be happy. However many people proclaim themselves to be responsible, it doesn't detract from the fact that dog owners will not police other dog owners.
Cottonsnark, Alston, Cumbria
"No breeding, no importing - muzzle and castrate the lot of 'em. No one needs them. And they can never, ever be trusted." Well I'd say apply the above to the owners first, then do the dogs.
Iceland once had semi-sensible laws re Reykjavic - no dogs allowed within the city limits.
RJW, Brisbane,
I am surprised to hear there is no longer a dog licence. I think there should be a dog licence, but it should either be free or a nominal amount. On the other hand, it should require the rigorous answering of a number of questions, which if not satisfied disqualify the person applying from keeping a dog or a particular dog. The size of the animal is an obvious point in this context, related to the accommodation and the environment.
Henry Percy, London, UK
You may blame the owners, but it's the dog that does the killing.
It's irrelevant whose fault it was when the kid's dead. And who cares if the dog was microchipped or not? What a damn silly argument.
So if you can't get rid of the owners, at least get rid of these big brutes - every single one of them.
No breeding, no importing - muzzle and castrate the lot of 'em. No one needs them. And they can never, ever be trusted.
Or have you doggy people forgotten little Archie Lee?
Plus all the other children and adults that have been mauled or killed by pitbulls and their likes?
Stop this pussyfooting. Get rid of these beasts.
And to the "responsible" dog owners, let me say this:
Don't forget that whilst you may keep your dog under control, your child might get killed by someone else's dog. And then it's no consolation to say it was the owner's fault. Your kid's dead.
It's common sense. Ban them all. At once. Full stop.
alan, germany,
I walk my dogs around the UEA grounds in Norwich picking up litter because i hate walking round what was becoming a land fill site. The problem there is that there are not enough litter bins and I think this is a problem with most green spaces. Dog poo is part of the wider problem of litter in this country; although I pick up plastic bags of poo, most of the items are crisp packets, drink cans and bottles which are discarded by young, generally male, human beings. Dog poo is a nuisance but ultimately biodegradable; plastic is not.
Elizabeth, Norwich,
The key word in this article is "hate". It seems there is quite a difference between being angry at someone or something and hating. Hate breeds intolerance as seems obvious by this author's comments.
William Newcomb, Saint Louis, USA
The answer is simple. Don't live in the city.
We are on our third and fourth labradors and they have never been to a park, never seen a hoodie and never had their poop scooped. They run in fields and on paths that are rarely trod and they love life and we love them.
I doubt they will eat our faces off.
No such thing as bad dogs, just bad owners. And dog haters.
David, Hemel Hempstead, UK
As the wrtier says here any dog can be goaded into brutality.
In the case of dangerous dogs - it's not them but the dangerous humans who should be banned.
If you want to own a dog you should have to attend a week (or a month) long course, at your own expense, at the end of which you will be given a certificate and licence which you must carry with you at all times when walking your dog. And this would apply to everyone from a Lord to a chav.
We should not be punishing the dogs, who will only follow their human master traits, but we should be making owners responsible.
kim, London,
Britain is an increasingly intolerant nation of "banners" and busybodies. No middle ground is ever sought, no compromise ever found. If people really want to ban stuff, start with banning this ghastly government........................
Liz Brown, Montmartin en Graignes, France
yInteresting comment on how good dog controls are in Australia - a continent where domestic cats are the biggest threat to indigenous wildlife. Australians should get rid of their domestic and wild cats before they start boasting about how good their dog controls are.
Arnold Ward, Weybridge, Surrey, UK
Bonjour.
Here in France, the streets (and pavements and parks) are oft' paved with canine excrement. I love the liberté of slipping through it whenever I endeavour outside. It's on my doorstep, outside the school gates, engrained in the "latticed underside" of my children's shoes... C'est fantastique!
Free plastic bags are on offer and people are, understandably, reluctant to accept such handouts. According to a French billboard poster, a small dog produces 80kg of brown fun every year. And there are supposedly over eight million of them. We're in deep...trouble.
In this land of égalité and fraternité, of course, the owners are just as likely to be well-dressed older folk as scrawny young hoody-wearers. I suspect that trying to introduce any kind of ban over here is likely to be poo-pooed with a traditional Gallic shrug.
Robert, La Rochelle, France
Just think how much more dog mess there will be when supermarkets are no longer allowed to give away free plastic poop bags with your shopping.
Approfondi, Bristol,
As a dog disliker, some years ago I would have been stupid enough to agree that dogs should be more strictly controlled.
But I am also a smoker.
This government has shown me the error of my ways. I supported the ban on fox hunting... I paid with the ban on smoking.
How stupid am I?
Now, every group that 'they come for' has my support. My enemies enemy has had to become my friend. My enemy is the sector of society, the tyranny of the majority, that want to ban everything and destroy all that my ancestors made great in GB. Thus my friends are all the groups who are picked on by this tyrannical machine, a product of 10 years of rule by a bunch of uneducated people who never grew out of leftism.
Protection of minority rights is all that separates liberal democracy from totalitarian democracy.
A substantial fine / reward for catching (by filming) people not picking up poop would quickly result in the poop situation getting a lot better.
Pete , Guildford, UK
The nations nature reserves are frequented by ever more bad dog owners, not all but many ignoring dogs on leads and clean up after signs.
Our nature reserves are not in existence as a free resource for dog walkers, and its very unpleasant to visit a nature reserve to encounter dogs of unknown temperament running free, dogs chasing deer, owners calling lost dogs and discarded poo bags in the bushes.
I suppose in an overcrowded island these frictions between people will only increase.
wayne, huntingdon, cambridgshire
This is one of the dimmest ideas I've heard in quite a while. In the time frame those three children were killed by dogs how many people were killed by hooded yobs? How many children died in car crashes? How many violent crimes committed by under-18s? How about a ban on under 18s? Maybe a shoot-to-kill order to the Police whenever a hood is spotted on a person's head would also be in order. How about just castrating every male in the world? It's a great idea legislating indiscriminately and populistically, isn't it?
Andrej, Ljubljana , Slovenia
Microchipping dogs is simple, cheap (if you can't afford it, you can't afford to keep a dog in the first place) and matched with a compulsary microchip registration system would enable dogs in public places and their owners to be easily identified with a portable chip reader. Irresponsible owners whose dogs are a threat or foul public spaces can then be dealt with by wardens with the power to issue instant fines and take the dog if the fines aren't paid. And, yes, if we can have traffic wardens to make sure cars are legally parked we can have dog wardens to do the same for dogs.
Anne Murphy, London,
When I can catch an evening bus and walk home the other end without having to look over my shoulder hoping that my watch or mobile is not on show. when I can drive my car without the hassle of being bullied or cut up on the inside by some road rage idiot. When I have been broken into and ring the police and they come with 30mins and actually seem to be doing something to catch the git who has made off with my hard earned items then I think we can turn to the smokers, the dog lovers and the obsese for the moment shouldn't we just stick to the real problems of this country?
When I open the papers each morning I am greeted with human misery of a much larger scale perhaps some of this energy should be put to solving the bigger issues.
maria, London, UK
Ban white vans
jparfitt, cwmbran, wales
The writer of this piece is wearing her silly Liberal heart on her sleeve, but only because her own shoes are now dirty. Why didn't she and her ilk speak up years ago. Banning dogs will achieve nothing, banning these particular owners might. Everyday one can see poor little bull-breeds puppies off the lead, in the street, bewilderedly trying to keep pace with their hateful owners. Once noble dogs and their pups are destined for who knows what fate. Their little lives are cheap and disposable, they will be used for : breeding stock, dog fighting, dog fighting bait, torture, starvation. Look around newsagents' windows, and Tesco stores, there are tons of ads for puppies at around £300 each. Does the tax man know about this or the dole office, let alone the animal charities. Take a picture and send it to your local police and/or tax team.
helen, Norwich,
You think Britain's got problems. Try Mauritius where conservative estimates put the stray dog population at around 300,000. Imagine the problems of unwanted pups who grow into adults all happily pooping in paradise . And they're not banned from the beaches...yet!
Katerina Roberts, Balaclava, Mauritius
Once we've banned dogs, can we move on to banning horses from public spaces? If dog owners have to clean up their mutt's mess, it seems only reasonable that horse-riders should do the same.
123, baden baden, Germany
Ian, unlike dogs (gray wolves), domestic cats are a foreign species (from the Middle East).
Domestic cats do far more harm to the environment and wildlife, and have contributed to the extinction of more species worldwide, than dogs.
That said, I love cats too.
I agree with banning dangerous breeds of dogs, but beyond that, a dog is something very useful to humans.
While we do ban useless things that are hazardous (guns, 3-wheeled ATVs), we don't ban things whose usefulness outweighs their hazards.
Over the last 100,000 years we've evolved and adapted with wolves and domestic dogs. Emotionally we now benefit greatly from their companionship and love.
If you want to legislate against chaves and hoodies, that is fine. But leave dogs alone.
Keith T, Winnipeg, Canada
I say lets get rid of the children. They are noisy, dirty and dangerous and they are allowed to walk around without leads. Parents can even have them without licenses and no breeding pedigree. They are cute when small but then you never know what they are going to be like when they grow up.
Glen, Toronto,
Who cares ? I am a cat owner these days - much more civilised !!!
Ian Payne, WALSALL,
They just mess up other people gardens
dig up plants
poop and pee in other people property
this is civilised? or lazy
steve hedley, sittingbourne, kent
I live in Australia. Here all dogs must be licensed; owners may have two dogs only regardless of size; dogs may only be walked on a lead and owners must be able to show an appropriate bag at all times; dogs loose on the streets will be picked up and destroyed unless quickly rescued at a high cost; barking dogs can be ordered destroyed; anyone can claim a dog frightened them and have the dog destroyed.
How successful is it?
Only the law-abiding license their dogs - a woman was found recently with 120 dogs. Owners let their dogs out at night so they can't be seen not picking up after their dog and their dog cannot be picked up as the authorities only work by day.
However, drunk and unruly humans can vomit, urinate or defecate on your footpath or in your yard; can scream abuse at you, break down your plants, throw rubbish into your yard and enliven their weekends with drunken brawls so even the police are scared of them.
Which group is the more dangerous?
Sharon, Brisbane, Australia
My husband and I are not dog haters; in fact, we both had dogs as pets growing up. Let's place the blame squarely where it lies; with irresponsible dog owners who allow their pets to poop wherever and whenever they please without cleaning up after them.
We enjoy walking in our city park; a beautiful, pristine park with paved walkways for folks to enjoy with or without the company of their four-legged pals. This park provides baggies at all entrances so that dog lovers can pick up after their pooping pets.
But many of the dog owners do NOT take advantage of the bags provided; NOR do they encourage poochie to take his poop off the trail, where it wouldn't entrap or offend other walkers or joggers.
To me, this is just plain laziness, and reflects the attitude du jour...let the crap fly where it may. It also reflects the insensitive and uncaring character of many people today..especially the young.
Yes, poop happens; but please clean up after YOUR pooping poochie!!!
Marina, Austin, TX
Who cares ? I am a cat owner these days - much more civilised !!!
Ian Payne, WALSALL,
Dogs need space and the chance to run. Here in Canada walking your dog in public places at certain times are banned however there are times when they can be off leash as long as they are under control. There are also dog fenced parks when they can run off leash and play with other dogs, again they must be obedient. All owners must pick up after their dog (I wish someone would tell my neighbour). All in all most owners need to learn how to train and control their dog, licensing dogs does very little other than put money into the governments pocket.
Steph, Vancouver, Canada
As anyone with kids knows, empty threats (however enshrined in statute) are a waste of time and do nothing to enhance quality of life. Real solutions require the ability to put practicality over principle, including the principle that the polluter pays. (S/he never does, really, we suffer the damage and then pay to prosecute him/her). Goose Green needs biodegradable bag dispensers and poo composters and a regular poo pickup by a paid waste operative, paid for by all residents in order to have a clean park, just like they pay for domestic rubbish collection regardless of output, or for schools even if their kids are flown or never to be. But I bet the park-users are too cheap, lazy, selfish and vengeful to take this route. So they'll be treading in dog poo - and hypodermic syringes, discarded fast-food cartons, and used condoms - for the forseeable future, and wishing "someone would do something" about it.
Katherine Kirk, Maryland, USA
Same as it ever was-Divide and Conquer
jo, london,
I am a dog lover. A responsible one. My 3 animals are visit the vet for vaccinations, are licenced and I pick up their poop when out walking [ on leashes]. I do hate with vengence, irresponsible owners. They walk their dog and allow the animals to poop at my drive-way or just anywhere poochie wants. They topple garbage bins, fight and scare the hell out of little children and fellows on motorbikes.
I live in a muslim country. Dogs without licences are shot. It's awful to hear the screams and bleeding as they are hauled into trucks, still alive. It is a terrible situation and I wish there is a solution.
C. Ling, Johor, Malaysia
Why stop at dogs? Let's have a go at cats - midnight wailing during the copulation ritual, digging up the delphiniums in the herbaceous border to defaecate, and urinating with vigour on the backdoor. Ban all pets forthwith! It is surprising that fireworks are still for sale to the public, that church bells can still call the faithful to prayer, that anglers can still angle, and that SUVs are still allowed on the roads. But not for long - the clock is ticking - the ban-it brigades are mustering their forces. Such is today's piffling mentality of intolerance, neighbour against neighbour. There may have been whingeing in the past, but since New Labour came to power, the rise of PC'ness has emboldened the closet killjoys of this world to come out into the open, releasing all their negative venom into society. New Labour was a big mistake and many will share a nostalgia for life before that fateful day in 1997.
Dwight Vandryver, Scholar Green, Cheshire, UK
An interesting article that raises many salient points about the ability of Britain to sustain a functioning, tolerant civil society. Some years ago while on holiday with my now long gone but much loved placid mongrel, I went back to my old university town in Aberystwyth. I found dogs - and ergo, dog owners - banned from the beach (presumably on supposed health grounds). Perhaps the beach was reasonably free of dog litter, but what immediately struck any onlooker was the huge amount of human detritus on the beach, it was filthy and disgusting... and there were no dogs in sight. We knew when we were not wanted. We quickly moved on, and have never been back.
Michael, London, United Kingdom