Cycling through Eastville Park (on a shared path, part of the Frome Valley cycle route) I saw a dog walker with 5 unleashed dogs of various sizes. They were all over the path, one running right in front of my wheel (I was moving very slowly fortunately). The dog walker made no attempt to keep them under any control.
I proceeded on my journey but then one came running up to me barking loudly, it nudged my leg with its nose; it didn't bite fortunately, but I had no reason to know that it wouldn't bite.
The dog walker came past and asked if I was alright, I said "not really, your dogs aren't under control"; she replied "it didn't bite you, did it?" (in a rhetorical tone, rather than one enquiring after my health). I said "how do I know if your dogs will or won't bite when they run at me barking?" She walked off mumbling something about being a dog walker, I presume it is a job as she has 5 dogs!
Whilst I like dogs and I am a dog owner too, I do not believe it is really acceptable to let your dogs run and bark at walkers, runners and cyclists. We don't know if they will bite until they do, or hopefully don't. I am sick of dog owners assuring me "she won't hurt you" after they have scared the life out of me and nearly had me off the bike!
The walker, with 5 uncontrolled dogs in Eastville Park:
Come on dog owners, tell me what you understand about the concept "under control"? Really, tell me . . .
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UPDATE
I found this on the government web site:
Out of control dogs
It is an offence to allow a dog of any type or breed to be dangerously out of control:
What is 'out of control'?Your dog is dangerously out of control if it:Anyone can report a dog and their owner to the police.
- injures a person, or
- behaves in a way that makes a person worried it might injure them -
If you are found guilty of having a dog that's out of control you may face a fine of up to £1000 and/or imprisonment. You may also not be allowed to own a dog in the future.
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Our dog Daisy (known to her friends as DayZee)
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