Thank you so much Guy Hull for lifting the lid on the behaviour of dog owners, particularly in Suffolk Park. Everything Guy describes, I have also witnessed, including abuse, pretended naivety or ignorance of the rules and the delusion that anybody who objects to ‘my sweet little doggy’ running around without a lead and harassing other dogs or people is being unreasonable and therefore needs to be told where to go.
I have also witnessed two free roaming dogs chase a coastal wallaby in the Suffolk Reserve onto the beach and harass the wallaby and keep chasing the wallaby into the surf until the wallaby drowned from exhaustion.
If it needs to be spelt out, then here it is: we in Suffolk Park live in a community where some believe that self-entitlement rules all, and nobody is going to tell them what to do with their dog.
Generally speaking, dog owners are awful. However, we must keep at them over this.
If you all keep thinking in the buzz terms the media gives you, you will never understand what’s actually going on around you.
I think those dogs owners rightly assume that they have an equal share in the natural resources, so if they want to let their dogs take out their share of Wallabies, that it’s OK to do so. The more you brow beat and restrict people and spout fallacious arguments, the more people are going to use your contradictions to justify all sorts of behavior, obliviously unaware of the real arguments against certain behaviors. The arguments you yourselves fight against.
This Suffolk Park dog issue seems to me to be one gigantic beat up. Yes you might see a lot of dogs together but this is in part due to the short strip where dogs are allowed. I walked my beautiful dog on this area just about daily for thirteen years. He was oblivious to everything but the ball or stick he was carrying and I’d challenge anyone to fault his behaviour. He was once attacked by a visiting dog but I never experienced anything apart from this one incident that caused me any concern whatsoever. And I’m not a particularly tolerant person.
When we lost this dog a few months ago, others in my household walked to Broken Head as the doggie area was too reminiscent and painful. I continued to walk with the dogs however because I find the joie de vivre of dogs contagious and wanted to still be with them. I also exchange a wave or word with most of the owners. The situation is far from out of control or “a failed experiment”.
What’s irritating and/or offensive is so subjective but the dog walking crew on Tallow’s Beach are a largely very happy and inoffensive bunch. They value the privilege and take care of the beach. Can I suggest that a great solution would be for the outraged to seek out the vast majority of expanse from Cosy Corner to Broken Head that is dog free. Can’t we adopt a live and let live attitude to the largely happy, well adjusted and well behaved dogs and owners and leave them alone.
Of course it is unacceptable for any dogs to be allowed to roam free – for big dogs this is outrageous but that’s not what the discussion’s been about so let’s not create straw men.
very clear and good article easy to understand. Thank you