Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Dogs in parks proposed restrictions

Are people aware that there is a bill being proposed to enforce dog owners to keep their dogs in a lead at all times in certain Harringey parks. Responsible dog owners will be penalised for the a actions of irresponsible dog owners. We need to be vigilant that this doesn't go through. There is a page on Facebook - Responsible Owners Against Restrictions

Tags for Forum Posts: consultation, dangerous dogs, dog control orders, dog on leads, dog walking, dogs

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Protheroe O'Shea on June 22, 2012 at 17:15

Would you be happy if dogs had designated areas of a similar size as the ones you mention for children?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by 3peoau5zwym3j on June 22, 2012 at 17:43

Yes, because some of the areas are quite large and enough for the dogs to run around in. I'm not talking about the playground, I'm talking about the fenced off park areas and picnic sites. Obviously if legislation were to be changed and dogs would only be allowed into designated areas then they'd have to be large enough to support quite a few dogs at the same time. That shouldn't be a problem in larger parks and as Haringey proposes to ban dogs from parks that are under half an acre there's no argument there. No dog owner uses parks that are less than half an acre as that's far too small to exercise a dog. Also if there are two parks in close proximity such as Downhills and Lordship rec, for example, I suppose it would be workable to have dogs on the lead in one and roaming freely in the other. But when there's no alternative nearby, banning all dogs from parks is just not workable or fair. BTW everytime I'm in the park with my dog, children do approach me asking to play with him. So not everyone is in favour of banishing dogs from parks and recreational grounds. Some actually enjoy the experience.

Some large parks such as Finsbury could even have a dog agility trainig course installed and I'm sure that would actually help educate dog owners how to behave responsibly and perhaps the council could support community projects whereby owners can show off the skills of their dogs and also help non dog owners and other park users how to behave around dogs. Sometimes people who own dogs don't understand that some people are scared of dogs and sometimes non dog owners don't know that a dog investigates/communicates by sniffing or that dogs are attracted by loud screechy noises and running as that translates into play time for dogs. I think it would be beneficial for the community as a whole to try and make the effort to understand and accommodate each others needs and not just one group to feel a sense of entitlement over any other group.