BecsBex

This is why I was reluctant to post my original message - I knew it would become a big whinge by all the people who want dogs to be on leads the whole time. FYI, when my dog is off the lead I am still aware of her doing a poop and then I clear it up. In my experience at Dulwich Park, most other dog owners are the same. It's really unfair to tarnish all dogs/owners with the same brush. As tiddles said, they key is consideration. I realise it's a dying concept...

I don't think it's nuts at all. Barry Road is clearly a regular target. With ED Police Station closing down and the police being too busy with other things to actually come over for a burglary incident when you need them (as in my case), I think cameras are a marvellous idea.

Thanks for your concern, first mate :) Tilly is very well. Took her to the vet yesterday and thankfully there were no serious injuries. The bite on her leg is smaller than I expected (it bled a lot, I thought)and the area's still sensitive today but her limp is all but gone. Took her back to Dulwich Park this morning and she wasn't happy on the lead so I let her off. She stayed closer to me than usual but on the whole was v brave indeed! :) Womanofdulwich, was there any point in your passive aggressive comment other than to wind people up? Doesn't seem so. If you don't have anything helpful or even relevant to add, please don't bother. FYI you haven't caught me on a bad day - I just think your comment was ignorant and pointless. Re dog licensing, I grew up in Australia and the dog license system is in place there. It's very effective. Shame it's not embraced over here. Perhaps it's a money thing - in Perth the parks are maintained/monitored by local council workers, part of whose job is looking out for unregistered dogs, problematic dogs, irresponsible owners etc. This includes handing out fines to owners who are caught avoiding cleaning up after their dogs. Bags are supplied by the council, attached to bins at several points around the park so that dog walkers have no excuse not to scoop the poop! It's a v effective system and aside from encouraging responsible dog ownership, it means everyone can use the public outdoor spaces without MUCH chance of stepping in something revolting. (It's not monitored in an insane BB way!) I get the impression that these sorts of schemes wouldn't be welcomed over here but it'a a shame, really - especially the lack of a dog license system.

Thanks first mate, I agree - I'm going to take her to the vet tomorrow morning anyway. I don't have a car so as it was starting to get dark and she didn't seem to need **urgent** attention, I thought I'd clean her up a bit myself and let her rest for tonight. She's wrapped up warm and seems okay but yes I'll definitely take her down to the vet tomorrow. :) The guys playing football said they'd seen the same dogs go after somebody else's not long before this incident took place. Apparently the owners put the staff back on leads at first but then let them off again just before Tilly and I were there... This plus the reaction of the couple when we spoke makes me think this has probably happened before and they're just d***heads.

Just a heads up for dog owners... My 7mth old Sprocker pup was attacked by two staffies this afternoon around 3.30pm, while she was walking off the lead (as were the staffs) in the area opposite the bike-hire place where the football pitch is. Her leg is injured; the bleeding seems to have stopped now but if she still can't walk on it tomorrow morning I'll take her straight to the vet. Thankfully she's come out of it a lot better than she could have which is surprising because at one point one of the dogs was dragging her along the grass by the muzzle and wouldn't let go even as I was kicking it with my wellington boot. I was expecting her to have chunks missing :( There were two owners who came over and managed to control the dogs, eventually. The woman is haggard-looking, maybe in her 40s with long ginger/grey hair. The guy had short dark blond/light brown hair, I think. Both staffs are a dark grey/brown colour. It all happened very quickly and once the dogs were back on leads, the woman came and prodded Tilly a bit but then both owners just sort of sauntered off and I let them go tbh because I was too busy worrying about my dog. They were absolute idiots though and spoke to me as if I'd done something wrong. It went a bit like this - Hag: "What's wrong with it?" Me: "She's just been attacked by your dogs (as you've just seen, you stupid bitch - I didn't say this bit aloud but I should have). I haven't actually had a chance to find out what's injured". Hag:(sounding put out) "Mmm, I think we'll go home." Me: "Oh, gosh, yes. Why don't you?" Hag: "Well, I want to let them off." And off they went back to the carpark. Anyway - just a warning for other dog owners who frequent Dulwich Park. Keep an eye out. I walk Tilly there every day and have never had a problem but I've not seen these dogs there before. Would also like to say that there are some very gentle staffies who are walked off the lead at DP and that I have owned a staff x in the past myself who was so loving that if anything had ever attacked HER she'd have just rolled over and taken it. The problem here is not 'all staffies' and the solution is not to muzzle all staffs or all dogs or to enforce some blanket rule where no dogs are allowed off leads at the park. Most dogs are very nice. The problem is owners! The park manager happened to be walking his dog this afternoon and he went to search for the couple in the carpark but I don't know if he was successful. These people should be banned from DP and/or have their dogs taken off them, I think. If you see them, maybe report it to the park warden. One last thing, thank you so much to the many lovely people who came over to check that we were all right, especially Daniel and also the guys who were playing football. It was v reassuring having you all come to the rescue. xx

I frequently take my dog on the bus/train/tube because I don't own a car and without a car I have no way of getting the dog to the vet or bringing her with me for extended periods of time other than by public transport. I keep her on my lap or as close to me as possible on the ground, and always on a lead. Dogs are allowed on public transport and whilst I agree that owners need to be responsible and aware of other passengers' personal space/comfort, non dog owners also need to CHILL - OUT and realise that sniffing is how a dog comes to understand its surroundings. In my experience, other passengers' children have caused me greater distress on public transport than naturally curious pet dogs. Agreed, dogs should always be on a lead in public (except at the park/in areas where you are actually allowed to let them off. Exercise = good).

Alan, a lot of breeds (Staffies especially) have been given a bad reputation and now people expect them to be aggressive/a risk to people and other dogs on sight, but this comes down to irresponsible owners and nothing more. We had a Staffy cross, Lady, for 15 years (we had to have her put down 2 years ago after fighting off an age-related illness) who we got from the RSPCA as a puppy. She was the most gentle, patient and affectionate dog you'd ever know! Took her to puppy pre-school for basic training but nothing advanced and never had to deal with any behavioural issues; she'd sooner have licked someone to death than attack them (or other dogs). I walk my dog at Dulwich Park and there are lots of different dog breeds there, including German Shepherds, Dobermans and Staffies... we've never had a problem! All lovely, good-natured dogs. Long story short: it's about the OWNER, not the breed of dog. If you give your dog basic training and bring them up to be loving then that's the pet you'll end up with, regardless of breed. Rant over :) Btw Cheese Board, I don't mean to disregard your experience at all. Thanks for letting us know so we can keep an eye out when walking our own dogs. Just makes me angry that owners like the one you met today keep perpetuating this problem with certain breeds. Idiots. x

They could indeed! In which case my comment means they can just go back to their houses and stay there unless they're willing to live nicely with everyone else. The area is clearly being targeted of late and all I meant by my comment was that whomever is carrying out these attacks/thefts can bugger off back to wherever and whatever they were doing before. In short - go away, criminals. Wow.

Eh? I'm guess that's come across as a racial slur? Wasn't intended that way... by 'they' I mean thieves and by 'where they came from' I mean wherever said thieves live. Sorry if I've caused offence, Hughenot. Think you've misread my tone! :)

Sorry to hear(read) this, mima. I agree with us all using common sense when we're out and about/not making ourselves easy targets by having our shiny possessions on display etc but ALSO, wtf! These sort of crimes are obviously on the up in this area; presumably it will carry on this way until something is done about it or we all run out of shiny possessions/lock ourselves inside our homes (which will then be burgled while we sleep). Surely there's something we can do to deter these criminals or get them to f* off back where they came from rather than resigning ourselves to not using mobile phones and ipods outside of the house, as they were DESIGNED. Why should we all have to sacrifice going about our daily routines, occasionally sending a text at the same time perhaps, when what would make more sense would be for the criminals to sacrifice ROBBING US. This 'if you don't want to be attacked, don't use your phone or wear your jewellery or walk alone or use public transport after sundown' view needs to be flipped. 'If you don't want to go to prison, don't attack anyone' makes more sense to me. Yes, I'm a bit touchy about all of this because I've recently been burgled, but fucksake! Can we just do something, please, to get rid of all these wankers?? ... I don't know what the 'something' is. If someone else does, please tell me so that I can join your crusade. PS Sorry for the f-bomb. I think it was justified.

Agreed on the nuclear winter comment. Barry Road looks like a wasteland now. I'd have liked an autumn but hey-ho...

I live on Barry Road and they're busy pruning the trees as I type. Sorry to get all First World Problems on everyone but I really hope they don't reach my place today. The leaves provide a lot of privacy into my living room and block the ugly building site across the road. Shame they have to prune them so early - goodbye, summer...

I think you've definitely done the right thing in reporting this, DTLP - well done. There seems to be a lot more of this sort of thing happening in ED of late and I think the police need as much info as they can to get a clear picture of what's going on in the area. I live on Barry Road and I my flat was broken into on the weekend. Wouldn't be surprised if it's all connected but who knows. What did they look like? I'm keeping an eye out - moreso than usual. Would be useful to have a description in case any of us see them around knocking on doors of people who AREN'T home. Sigh. x

Thanks Tallulah. I'm sure it does help! Maybe i'll get one with a picture of an alsation on it... except I'm sure the thieves will tell their mates there was no guard dog and I'm expecting the same culprits or their chums to come back. As it happens I have a 14 wk old spaniel pup but I think she's a bit little to have done any guarding the other night. I was certain they'd have taken her or she'd run away but I found her trembling under the bedside table. x

Thanks for the advice, Tom. They all look like sensible tips. I will look into a safe, however I now have nothing of value to keep in it as the scrotes have taken it all. Some things could be replaced but I can't see any point in replacing items such as jewellery as eventually it will just be stolen. That's how I feel at the moment. All I'd really like to replace is the two necklaces given to me by my godfather for my Christening, and that's impossible. In terms of securing the property, those are all things I'd like to do. Unfortunately I'm renting so it would most likely come out of my pocket and whilst I can't put a price on my personal security, I do resent pouring money into a property that I don't own and won't be in for a long time. On that note, I am reconsidering staying in this flat now. I love it but it doesn't feel like my home anymore and I'm terrified of the intruders (or their mates) coming back. Even moreso now that you've suggested they will return for a 2nd hit once I've replaced everything. Not surprised though, my Dad warned me about this earlier today as well. I love East Dulwich but only moved from Guildford to London a year ago and it's taken me this long to find my feet up here. I know burglaries can and do happen everywhere, but I can't help but feel like I'm much more at risk of being a victim of crime in London - even in lovely, 'sleepy' East Dulwich.

The police dusted for prints but it's clear the culprit/s wore gloves. They gained access through my back garden and through the kitchen window from there. There is building work being done next door, I think they might have accessed my garden via the neighbour's side alley. Not sure. Horrible thinking about it tbh. Strawbs, thanks for your reply. It's an awful feeling to be afraid of being in your own home. When the police did arrive the next day, they were rather taken aback when they realised a break-in had taken lace as the incident had been reported as an ATTEMPTED break in. I wonder if this is why it wasn't considered important enough to come round on Saturday night, though I was very clear when I rang to report the burglary as soon as I got in. Really unimpressed. If they'd come round they could potentially have noticed anyone suspicious in the area or searched for a stash of stolen property etc. Anyway - stay safe everyone. xx

Last night I came home from work to find my key would not unlock my door, as if someone had flicked the switch on the dead lock from inside the property. I assumed the lock had jammed so called a locksmith out. When he finally managed to drill out the lock and get us inside, I discovered the place had been ransacked. Several items have been taken, including a desktop iMac, a very old macbook pro, digital camera etc. I rang the police straight away and they promised to have a car out to me within the hour but they rang back 90 mins later to say they were too busy and made an 'appintment' with me for this afternoon. To say I'm disappointed is putting it lightly - they really let me down last night. Please be vigilant. I would hate for anyone else to go through this, though it seems To be happening all the time around here lately. x