Aggressive Child Owner in Peckham Rye Park

[tallulah71]

Hi everyone -

Just to let you know, there is a woman: blonde about 30 ish who has a screaming brat in a buggie.

Today my dog walked very slowly up to the buggie and had a little sniff in the underneath bit. Her and her male friend kicked my dog away and said, "PUT YOUT DOG ON (Gosh, I shouldn't really repeat this, as she had a child with her) A FUCKING LEAD!"

Dear me, I thought as I walked away. How the park has changed. She then ran up towards me saying, "Come here - come here I want to show you something".

She then pulled her sunglasses away to reveal a scar which she had received as a result of a dog attack when she was 3 years old. "Because of people like you.."

I don't really want to bore everyone with the ensuing interaction, suffice to say her parting words were: "Put it on a lead - this is a park for f***s sake!" Yes, I thought - that's why I'm here! Silly girl.

She didn't ask me to put the Jack Russell, Irish Terrier, or South London Terrier on the lead.

That's what the world needs: more breeders like her.

[glitzydebs]

Oh she must be the one who upset me... My little friendly dog just snapped at Paddlington her gorgeous black lab and horrid lady said and I quote: there are lots of nasty dogs in the park and yours is one of them!

My little dog is so sweet and she didn't bite the lab just a get off nip.

[the-e-dealer]

If your dog wasn't off lead in an area where leads are required then she cant complain. If the rules were enfored better then msybe those who dont wish to be sniffed or slobered on by dogs could just use the dog free/ lead only areas. Dog wardens and Licencing are the answer.

[Voyageur]

If anyone has a dog that has a tendency to go bowling up to toddlers/kids, and can't be controlled to stop them doing this by voice commands, then I tend to think they should be kept on leads - at least until they can be trained to stop doing this. The parent concerned won't know the dog concerned and has no idea how the dog will react to their child, no matter how much the dog owner thinks that their dog is the sweetest, gentlest mammal to walk the earth.

[etta166]

I always ask dog owners first before I let my children approach their dogs. I'd appreciate it if dog owners did the same, and asked me before they let dogs approach me/my children. A degreee of mutual courtesy is all that is needed to keep everyone happy.

[Voyageur]

etta166 Wrote:

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> I always ask dog owners first before I let my

> children approach their dogs. I'd appreciate it

> if dog owners did the same, and asked me before

> they let dogs approach me/my children. A degreee

> of mutual courtesy is all that is needed to keep

> everyone happy.

Sounds like a reasonable way forward.

[Chillaxed]

Sounds like she overreacted, but if she did indeed get her scar from a rogue dog, you can understand her sensitivity.

[womanofdulwich]

My Mum was bitten by a dog when she was a child- this had a serious effect on my brother and I and how we view dogs. Dog lovers don't always realize the psychological scars a dog bite/attack can have on you and the culture of your family.

( I love dogs and my brother has one now, but it has taken some time).

[the-e-dealer]

My sister bit me when I was a child.

[Loz]

To be fair, you can't blame her, really.

[the-e-dealer]

I dunno I describe a major trauma in my life and some Troll throws it back at me!

[titch juicy]

She was perfectly within her rights.

If a dog can't be COMPLETELY and reliably controlled by voice, and if you can't be 100% sure your dog isn't going to approach strangers, especially young children then it should always be on a lead.

Some people are terrified of dogs.

It seems most dog owners in peckham rye park are irresponsible- i'd say 90% of dogs you see in the areas where dogs are supposed to be on leads (arboretum, japanese garden etc), aren't on leads.

As it happens I adore dogs, and will approach most to pet/stroke them; but not everyone is a dog lover.

[Gidget]

Those signs in the park mean nada. They are unenforceable. But I agree that dogs should not be in the fenced in picnic area/or playground areas. It would have been better if the fence was higher as many dogs can jump it, especially if a squirrel is spotted. I also don't see a problem if dogs use the pond for swimming and that is deemed an on-lead area. Why?

[the-e-dealer]

The Dog Control Orders Regulations 2006 empowers Local Authorities to make Dog Control Orders for:

-Failing to remove dog faeces.

-Not putting, and keeping, a dog on a lead when directed to do so by an authorised officer.

-Permitting a dog to enter land from which dogs are excluded.

-Taking more than a specified number of dogs onto land.

-Not keeping a dog on the lead.

[ratty]

There are so many dogs off leads in the park it is untrue. Scares the crap out of me when they approach my kids.

[KidKruger]

I saw a dog chew all the flesh off a little girl's lower arm in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, a few years ago. No way was her hand ever going to work again having been stripped bare to the bone like that. Shocking sight. It took about 2-3 mins.

She'd tried to stroke the dog.

Arguably things are different out there.

Still a dog though.

Scares me when dogs off lead come near my kids too.

It's bit like Carter waving his unloaded gun around in the garden, the observer knows not what the actual danger really is, so is liable to fear the worst and may 'over react' in order to try and avoid injury.

[Twirly]

I agree that owners shouldn't allow their dogs to approach other people, particularly children (whether or not they can control them with voice commands). Kids can be scared of dogs, even if their parents aren't, and being approached even by a lovely, friendly dog, could make that worse. I don't have a problem with most dogs, and will happily make a fuss of them (can't have any pets where we live now, but when we move am hoping to get a dog and/or cat).

As for dogs swimming in the pond - surely they're not supposed to do that as it'd scare the wildlife, particularly the ducks etc. when they're breeding? And that pond hardly looks clean. Would you really want your dog covered in all the crud in there, and then spreading it around?

[Gidget]

To do any dog control orders you have to have a local authority employee empowered to do something. They are useful for fining people who don't pick up dog poo; I know a few people who have received fines. With regard to a dog off lead in an area signposted, the local authority person has to ask you to put the dog on the lead and if you do so they can't fine you. They can't just fine you for having let the dog go into that area. I don't know anyone who has got a fine for refusing to do so, but I do know someone who kept letting her dog worry the ducks at Peckham Rye and she got a fine.

[Otta]

People are more likely to hurt you than dogs, and most dog attacks don't happen in public places. Sorry but this woman sounds like a cow.

As much as dog owners should be responsible, the parents need to do their bit in making sure their kids are not putting themselves at risk.

[Voyageur]

She sounds like someone who was concerned about her child to me - not an aggressive cow. The kid was hardly putting itself at risk sitting in a pram....

Etta 166 had the best advice above - that way nobody is unduly worried/frightened. Simple.

[Annette Curtain]

Child owner ?

Strange description of a parent tho

And not everyone likes dogs

(I do, mostly btw)

[LondonMix]

ditto

Voyageur Wrote:

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

> She sounds like someone who was concerned about

> her child to me - not an aggressive cow. The kid

> was hardly putting itself at risk sitting in a

> pram....

>

> Etta 166 had the best advice above - that way

> nobody is unduly worried/frightened. Simple.

[zeban]

LondonMix Wrote:

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

> ditto

>

> Voyageur Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > She sounds like someone who was concerned about

> > her child to me - not an aggressive cow. The

> kid

> > was hardly putting itself at risk sitting in a

> > pram....

> >

> > Etta 166 had the best advice above - that way

> > nobody is unduly worried/frightened. Simple.

Yep, also agree

[Otta]

Voyageur Wrote:

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

> She sounds like someone who was concerned about

> her child to me - not an aggressive cow. The kid

> was hardly putting itself at risk sitting in a

> pram....

>

> Etta 166 had the best advice above - that way

> nobody is unduly worried/frightened. Simple.

I never said "aggressive", you did. I also never said that SHE had put her kid at risk, I was talking more in general by then. If the OP is to be believed though, the dog sniffed the buggy, and was kicked. The woman then swore at the dog owner.

[oimissus]

Gosh, what a charmer you sound. 'Screaming brat', 'breeder'??? If she was attacked by a dog as a child then she is not unreasonably wary of dogs around her baby. Yes, she probably over-reacted, but she gave you a very good reason for doing so, so I'm not sure why you then felt the need to write this post?