Dog Walkers In Town

[James Redhill]

Hi, just wanted to post this to get it off my chest and as a potential warning to other dog walkers/cat owners in town.

I know it's very common in town now for people to maintain areas around their homes or in front of their property borders. Either it's done because they want to improve the look or environmental potential of the area or because they hope to claim this land at some point.

My girlfriend was walking her dogs recently along a main road near where she lives where many residents have done this along a tree planted 'nature strip' between a main road, pavement and some houses. The dogs urinated on this grass patch just after sticking their faces into a long patch of grass and seeming to nibble at something. She pulled them away and thought nothing of it. The following evening she went on the same route and her old dog needed to do her business on this same patch as she was walking by. As she was bagging up the poo a man came out of a property which bordered the patch and started yelling at her, gesturing and asking her why she would allow the dog to do it's business there, saying he'd watched her the night before walking by. He demanded to know where she lived and when she told him he said why couldn't she keep to her 'own area'! When she showed him she was cleaning up after the dog he said it didn't matter and that she was helping to destroy the patch by making other dogs attracted to the area. She was apologetic because she appreciates the fact that people like to maintain these areas but also felt like she'd really done nothing wrong as a responsible dog owner walking in a public space and also that the aggression this guy was showing and what he said to her was completely wrong.

Anyway, a day after she was verbally attacked like this the dogs became ill and she's concerned that this resident may have been putting some kind of deterrent down for cats and dogs. One dog has recovered but the other may need veterinary care. I don't want to make any accusations as dogs can fall sick for a number of reasons but I just wanted other dog walkers to be vigilant just in case. I also want to warn anyone who is vulnerable or perhaps whose kids walk the dogs to be careful because my girlfriend has been extremely anxious since being shouted at by this resident. It's not a nice thing to scream and point and tell people they shouldn't be in a particular area of town! Thing is, it's in an area leading towards the 20 acres so I imagine dozens of dog walkers pass this place every day. My girlfriend says if he'd come out and gently explained he was a bit protective of the land she would have just told him she'd do her best to avoid the area in future but his behaviour was bordering on being crazy and anti-social and now this with the dogs being ill...

 

[webtrekker]

I don't personally think it's anything to do with the land, probably an animal hater.

Can you be more specific in the location as I'd hate to think he'd been poisoning the area and other animals were at risk?

I don't like people who think they can 'acquire' a piece of land that's not rightfully theirs simply by planting it out. If it had been my dog he'd picked on he wouldn't have got my address and he would have discovered all his plants destroyed the next morning! 

Tosser! 

Edited July 7, 2016 by webtrekker

[John Fox (foxy)]

I wonder if he would have been so aggressive if it were a man walking the dogs, probably not, sounds like the perfect bully to me.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

As many on this site will have read my views on me never keeping animals kept as pets I have nothing against responsible people (and of course their kids who learn from responsible people) walking and cleaning up after their animals. 

James - I think you should photo the area so at least the people on this site with pets can identify the area in question and possibly inform relevant authorities of the possible contamination of open spaces that could have devastating consequences on animals trained to assist any disabled person.   

[mercuryg]

I think it an absolute disgrace that anyone should act with such aggression towards a woman (or in fact anyone) on their own over such a trivial matter, dog waste related or otherwise. This man is clearly a bully with too much time on his hands. If I knew where he was I'd borrow my sisters two dogs and head down there.

[Christopher Doyle]

Have to admit, i agree.

If the person involved was picking up, and it wasn't on someones property, i'd make a point of letting my dog go there.

But, then again, I am a bit of a dick.

[James Redhill]

Thanks or the responses everyone. I know things like this can get a bit heated and we don't want anyone to be targeted. It's completely possible that our dogs have fallen ill from something else entirely really and we are just connecting the incident with this man because he was so aggressive. I am going to the vets today anyway to see what they think.

The area is basically down Hartford Road bank where the cherry trees are planted. I assume that these sections of land aren't actually owned by the residents but actually have no real idea. My girlfriend thought initially she might have been in the wrong and that these bits were part of an open landscape type garden but we've seen a lot of dog walkers using the same place so we really don't know. 

I suppose anyone can put leave anything on the street that might be a toxin to a dog though so we aren't going to firmly accuse this man just because he was truculent. 

[Symptoms]

James - you must inform the police as this guy has behaved in a threatening manner towards your girlfriend.  You must also inform them of your suspicions regarding the noxious stuff in the grass maybe poisoning your woofa.  Both of these events are illegal so it's your duty to report him.  Anyway, grassed margins BEYOND a property line (front wall) don't belong to the householder, they belong to the local authority or the 'highways agency', so are public spaces.