Dog attack (on my dog) in Nunhead Cemetery Friday morning

[Dr Zoo]

My dog was attacked yesterday morning around 9.30am in Nunhead Cemetery by a golden retriever and I am trying to trace the owner.

We were walking along the main path which runs from Limesford Road to Linden Grove with my dog ON A LEAD. The owner came out from one of the side paths with two dogs, a large brown 'spaniel type' dog and a golden retriever who were both off the lead.

The owner walked past us with the brown dog following him, he was calling the retriever which ignored him. The owner carried on walking still calling the retriever who was now behind us at this point.

The retriever then ran straight up to my dog and savagely attacked him, I was screaming and shouting for him to get off my dog (who remember, WAS ON A LEAD). The dog stopped and ran off to the owner who was standing a considerable distance away calling him and out of sight of his dog, the owner then walked off with his dogs. He would have heard the commotion and must have realised it was his dog involved.

My dog has a bite wound on his back and has needed treatment. This incident is extremely upsetting, my dog is 12 years old and we were out for a lovely stroll in the cemetery in the morning sunshine.

If you are the owner or if you recognise the description of the dogs and know the owner please can you PM me. I feel it is very important that the owner is made aware of exactly what happened as his dog was not under his control at the time of the attack and he may not be aware of the seriousness of the incident.

I have reported the matter to the police and to Southwark council.

[tiddles]

How dreadful! And how irresponsible.idiots like these ruin things for the majority

Of decent dog owners. I hope you find the culprit and best wishes for your dog.

In all the hoo haa surrounding nunhead cemetary do you think they may have cctv at the entrance?

[FrobisherPioneer]

Dr Zoo, I saw the guy whilst walking my dog, he parked on Linden grove by the gates, not sure if there is cctv for that area? I think he had a black car.

Hope your dog makes a quick recovery.

[KidKruger]

Also keep an eye out in the other local parks in case he reads this and avoids Nunhead.

[Dr Zoo]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

There is no CCTV at the entrances of Nunhead Cemetery as far as I am aware. The police have got in touch with me to follow up but unless I can provide them with details of the owner there is not much they can do unfortunately.

My dog is much better today, he is in the garden enjoying the sunshine :)

[Quia Differt]

Dr Zoo

Terribly sorry for what happened to your dog, especially given that your dog was 12 years old.

Sadly, there are irresponsible owners and to merely walk away when it was obvious what had occurred was appalling.

I hope you have luck tracking this Guy down and a description of the Guy can only be helpful.

One thing I would say is that you twice emphasised that your dog was on a lead and given your ordeal I will tread carefully but I would estimate from having dogs for over 30 years that when I see the odd attack it is, invariably, dogs being taken advantage off while they are on a lead as the perpetrator senses they are restricted and comparitively defenceless.

An example of this is the occasional Male dog trying to mount another Male dog to show domination.

Hope your beloved dog makes a full recovery.

[Dr Zoo]

Thanks for your concern QD, my dog is much better today and the wound is healing well.

Just to clarify as I didn't mention this in my original post - the reason I emphasised that my dog was on a lead was because we were walking in a 'dogs on lead only' area of the cemetery. Also, I felt it was important for people to understand that my dog was under my full control at the time of the attack, he had not approached the retriever, tried to play with him or steal his ball/stick etc etc, he was walking along by my side minding his own business when the retriever saw him, ran straight up to him and launched the attack on my dog.

The golden retriever is a large heavy set male dog with a big bushy coat and is about 3 times the size of my dog.

I am hoping that I will eventually be able to trace the owner.

[Quia Differt]

Dr Zoo Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Thanks for your concern QD, my dog is much better

> today and the wound is healing well.

>

> Just to clarify as I didn't mention this in my

> original post - the reason I emphasised that my

> dog was on a lead was because we were walking in a

> 'dogs on lead only' area of the cemetery. Also, I

> felt it was important for people to understand

> that my dog was under my full control at the time

> of the attack, he had not approached the

> retriever, tried to play with him or steal his

> ball/stick etc etc, he was walking along by my

> side minding his own business when the retriever

> saw him, ran straight up to him and launched the

> attack on my dog.

>

> The golden retriever is a large heavy set male dog

> with a big bushy coat and is about 3 times the

> size of my dog.

>

> I am hoping that I will eventually be able to

> trace the owner.

Great News !!....I am sleeping downstairs tonight with a 25 week old cockerpoo and his 6 year old Sister and my beloved Yorliepoo and a Jack Russell and a 9 year old dog from Spain who seems a mixture of at least 3 different breeds and at 4.00AM one of them saw me move and decided to let me know it was time for him to use the garden, at which point 4 of them did !

I board and walk small to medium dogs when Owners are away. Other dogs I just have an arrangement to walk.

Day off from walking others tomorrow, only the 5 here but at least 4 more on Tuesday plus an introductory wallk with a dog arriving the folowing week so 10 dogs that day :)

Good Luck

[Quia Differt]

You would be surprised how many Owners from Grove Park/Hither Green/Sydenham/Catford choose to walk their dogs ( when feasible ) out a few miles to places like Foots Cray Meadows,Oxleas Woods,Avery Hill,Eltham Parks ( North and South) and Danson Park to seriously reduce their chances of meeting aggressive dogs.

3/4 years ago Foots Cray Meadows ( Five Arches ) Off North Cray Road and 1 mile from Sidcup was voted Best Country Park in London and it is ideal for Dog-Walking and you could drink out of the flowing River Cray that runs through it and also runs through Hall Place opposite The Holiday Inn on the A2. A tell-tale sign is that 90% of the dogs are off the leash at all times there. It is 240 Acres of Doggie Paradise....

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Dr Zoo,

sorry I was away for a few days. I will report this myself too and also inform the Nunhead and Queen's Road Councillors as the cemetery is in their ward. This path is within the dog on lead zone so, if the owner had been following the rules, it wouldn't have happened. I'm glad to hear than your dog is making a good recover.

Renata

[DenmotherSmith]

Hi Dr Zoo

We met on the path shorty after the incident, I sorry to hear your lovely dog sustained injuries. I walk the same route, same time every day, with my dog and I haven't seen the assailant dog and owner since the incident. If I do Ill let you know. I seem to recall the owner of the dog was talking to his dogs or having a phone conversation and seemed oblivious to anything around him. Is it possible he didn't hear the commotion or thought his dog wasn't involved?

Glad your dog is making a good recovery.

n

[Quia Differt]

DenmotherSmith Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hi Dr Zoo

I seem to recall the owner of the dog was

> talking to his dogs or having a phone conversation

> and seemed oblivious to anything around him. Is it

> possible he didn't hear the commotion or thought

> his dog wasn't involved? Glad your dog is making a good recovery.

Some Owners really should not have dogs or, at least, walk them.

" Highlights" from the last month or so include : Guy speaking on the phone ( as above) while his Staffie roamed free. The second way round the walk his dog decided to join in the Friendly foursome who were play fighting but then it turned sour. NOT , initially, his dogs fault, it was a Border Terrier who was to blame. Commotion ensued and it was looking grim when he FINALLY came over and got bit by his Staffie and shouted at US "why didn't any of YOU do something". ??

The very next day a Staffie and Boxer took a dislike to each other and went their seperete ways only for my friend's Boxer to decide to follow the scent of the staffie who had left the park 10 minutes earlier and he left the park, as well.The next day the boxer bolted away from the middle of the park to once again re-trace his adversary's steps He no longer walks there. The owner of this staffie admitted he can't really control him so why, at least, was he not on a lead ?

Then there was the older Guy , literally, dragging his poor dog across the field where every other dog was playing/roaming freely and enjoying the smells, sights and sounds of the Park. Then I saw a Lady panic and pick up her Frenchie by the chain and almost strangle it because a couple of dogs approached hers with no malicious aforethought whatsoever, which was obvious.

Met a Lady yesterday who was the opposite. I was walking my 5 dogs in the wide open spaces near The River Cray and I asked her why one of her 2 dogs was on a lead there. This lovely Lady told me she rescued this blind cocker spaniel who had been used for breeding and then dumped in Ireland and then via Wales and Woking she picked her up and she was still very friendly but it makes your heart sink.

[Huggers]

Yes but in the boxer dtaffie scenario, it sounds like the boxer who leaves the park to,follow the scent is the one not in control.

[Quia Differt]

Huggers Wrote:

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> Yes but in the boxer dtaffie scenario, it sounds

> like the boxer who leaves the park to,follow the

> scent is the one not in control.

Both deserve blame. The Staffie came over to the Boxer, initially, quite aggressively. After quite a bit of sparring they went their own ways and the staffie left the park in the entrance in our quiet road. The 11 Month old Boxer decided 10 minutes later to bolt and shot out of the same entrance unaccompanied and the owner eventually caught up with him and soon after telling me the next day the boxer shot off and did exactly the same again still wanting to continue their little chat.

Just returned from my local park and 2 Guys were Fishing or setting up equipment and I said to them "Is this your Border Terrier" ? They said " Yes but there should be 2 ". The other Border named Rosie was then seen by someone entering the park 250 yards away with the dog going in the other direction !"....

[Cessj]

It may seem unfair or even cruel not to let dogs off their leads when out walking, but some dogs cannot be let free in parks. We have a 6 year old beagle who despite our efforts and probably well over a thousand quid spent on training just has no recall..As with dogs of his breed, he only has to spot or scent something enticing and he's off....

I've spent to much hours chasing after or hunting for him in the past - there was one memorable summers day at Blythe Hill park when he slipped his lead and ran amok among all the picnicking families, grabbing drumsticks and hotdogs and sandwiches and whatever else he could snatch, leaving me to deal with some very angry people...

There was a time when he was younger when I thought that he had got the recal thing but this was after months of training. But then he started to not answer or come back, running off out of the park etc..

So we used one of those extra long leads so he could at least enjoy a bit of a run..we have tried letting him run free in gated dog parks or empty tennis courts but he gives us the runaround come when he's called and even offers of his favourite treats aren't enough to entice him..

A lot of people do get upset seeing him on his lead while their dogs run freely and both myself and husband have been met with abuse from other dog owners, and there have been some very nasty altercations.

There's nothing we'd love more than to be able to let our dog roam freely in the park but we dare not let him do so, for his safety...

All this is to say that some of us do have very good reasons for keeping our dogs on the leash when out and sometimes it would seem that a good many owners ought to do same...

[Quia Differt]

Cessj Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It may seem unfair or even cruel not to let dogs

> off their leads when out walking, but some dogs

> cannot be let free in parks. We have a 6 year old

> beagle who despite our efforts and probably well

> over a thousand quid spent on training just has no

> recall..As with dogs of his breed, he only has to

> spot or scent something enticing and he's off....

>

> I've spent to much hours chasing after or hunting

> for him in the past ,,,,

I totally understand having clocked up thousands of hours walking dogs, which I do daily, and I board them from 1 Day to whenever, as well. It's a full-time job looking after people's "babies" and it's now around 2.45AM and I have just let them out in the garden for obvious reasons. I have been there, shall we say, and Beagles are much more likely than others to do their own thing. My neighbour's Beagle came into my house regularly at 6.45AM just 1 minute after he left for a London train. It got embarassing as he, blatantly, wanted to be with my "pack" playing all day. Even an 8 foot high fence which he, reluctantly, built did not do the job !

As regards your general point I fully understand why some dogs can not be off the leash and, also, at some times of the day why it is not practical , as well ( brisk walk in the morning before leaving for work means you can not take the chance of the dog playing up , for example ). The only time I had my 4 Westies on a leash was our entry/exit into the park/woods/meadows etc and Picnic Time in the Summer.

Allowing dogs off is like them opening that day's newspaper they can experience the multi-farius sights, sounds and smells of the day, run freely, be able to socialise with other dogs and in the case of my current one 3 weeks ago in Alfriston in East Sussex we walked 7 miles while he must have done 9 miles running between us and going off constantly.

Luckily I can let 95% of the dogs that stay with me offthe leash as they are regulars but at the end of the day I am just a " hired hand" and obey the owners wishes and instructions.

You really are unlucky because the solution is, normally, an enclosed area, but if he also has the habit of teasing you and not coming back then I feel for you as I had that in the early days and, in my case, if you have gathered all the other dogs up and one refuses to come I had a problem. I have to walk those kind of dogs on their own because, of course, another potential problem is that a few dogs love mounting other dogs on a leash as they know they are restricted and, somewhat defenceless and they try to take advantage.

I walk my dogs " far from the madding crowd" now and though it means not meeting many potential new customers I only had 6 days off last year without any small/medium dogs staying so I much rather have people ring on recommendation as 95+^ of the dogs I have under my local council licence are very much beloved Family Dogs.

My pet hate is owners who are so fearful of other dogs that they not only keep dogs on a lead but PICK THEM UP sometimes which, apart from the odd circumstance, is totally wrong imo as the dog then believes this is normal and the owners fear is transmitted to that dog as sets off a vicious circle of behaviour. I , often, then see the same dog in the same park with their Partner walking the dog and he is off the leash and, usually, thoroughly enjoying his/her freedom. There are, at least, 10 dogs that I see this pattern with which, in their case, was the Owner who was the reason for walking on the lead not their dog !

Good Luck and you, literally, have no choice but well done for trying to change things but you are definitely doing the right thing for all concerned.