chuckandsteve Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Does anyone know if you can make a general complaint to council about an area. Our area is insane for off lead dogs, in particular small dogs that like to charge big ones. We have a reactive dog as well as 2 others, greyhound/staffy (reactive) a staffy and a jackrussel x. We muzzle the reactive one as he will have a snap at a charging dog, fair enough i think but he could do some damage, but even this now no longer seems to make people think they should restrain their dogs. I would never let my toy poodle run at a pack of dogs but seems most think its fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Is it at an off lead park? If so, I would avoid that park if I was you. You could try taking photos of said charging dogs to back up your complaint to council. Have dates and times recorded and owners car regos if you can. The more info the better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Keep your dogs muzzled if they will do harm. Good luck with complaining to the council. I have small dogs and can hardly walk anywhere around my area now due to large dogs running loose from various houses with crap owners and/or no fencing. I've complained several times but nothing can be done it seems. The council has asked me to take photos of the offending dogs with a date/time on. I won't risk my small dogs though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyra Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 I think there are always going to be off lead dogs everywhere. I walk my dogs at quieter times now - don't have to worry about dogs running up yapping their head off at mine as much. Wish people would obey council laws etc. but it appears people think they are immune because their dog is so "well trained". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Wish people would obey council laws etc. but it appears people think they are immune because their dog is so "well trained". But, hey!! Don't you know that rules are for other people LOL LOL. I live in a very quiet no through roads area which is very popular for walkers, runners, strollers, dogs being walked etc etc. Every so often along comes the person, grinning and smug with his/her dog/s off the lead. And there are also those people who open their front doors/gates while chatting to others and allow their dogs to run out onto the footpath and street. How a couple haven't been collected by cars is beyond me. Whenever I see a dog not on a lead, I call out to the owner that their dog should be on a leash. (So self rightgeous - :laugh: :laugh: !!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_ Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Might need to tell the poodle owner that, due to new dangerous dog laws in Vic, having a dog that behaves like that can mean a 10 year ban from owning dogs, a $34k fine and up to two years in jail. A dog can be deemed dangerous for charging, no damage to another dog is required. I'd also complain to the council. Chances are they will do nothing but if enough people speak up something will be done. I wouldn't tell them I have reactive dogs though - especially a reactive staffy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sail_Away Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I moved to a new suburb about a year ago and have been shocked by the number of dogs 'roaming' the streets, with owners no where to be seen. I once had this papillon follow me for a few blocks… no idea where it's home is! On another occasion I was walking down the street (without my dog thankfully) and this huge mastiff ran from a verandah right out onto the street snarling and barking at me - it came only about a metre away from where I was and I was a few houses down… it scared the living daylights out of me and I honestly thought it was going to attack me. The owner who was inside the house opened her front door and yelled out 'sorry' but did not come to get the dog!!! I no longer take my dog for walks around this area anymore... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justrace Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 That is my number # hate. The people across the road allow their dog off lead just around their house. They were in their drive way, had their gates open, I was putting something into the boot of my car (thankfully my kids were already in the car) when the dog came bolting down their drive across the road, up my neighbours driveway not 2 meters from where I was standing. The guy had no way of calling it off now I'm really paranoid of letting my kids collect the mail or just grabbing something out of the car. They take it to the park (two doors up) without a lead too. Maybe if you phone each time it charges you they might do something about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schnauzer Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Write to your council by email. I have complained over the years about off leash dogs on the ocean walk and Rangers now police it - initially warning owners but they didn't take any notice. At last they are scanning dogs. Then the irresponsible owner gets a nice little surprise in the mail - $220 fine :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantis Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Keep your dogs muzzled if they will do harm. Good luck with complaining to the council. I have small dogs and can hardly walk anywhere around my area now due to large dogs running loose from various houses with crap owners and/or no fencing. I've complained several times but nothing can be done it seems. The council has asked me to take photos of the offending dogs with a date/time on. I won't risk my small dogs though. I have the opposite problem, I have a Staffy that I have to walk late at night, because there are so many off lead little dogs who's owners think it's cute, that their dogs run up to & have a go at big on lead dogs. It was the same when I had my previous dog, the council do nothing when it's a complaint about a small dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I moved to a new suburb about a year ago and have been shocked by the number of dogs 'roaming' the streets, with owners no where to be seen. I once had this papillon follow me for a few blocks… no idea where it's home is! On another occasion I was walking down the street (without my dog thankfully) and this huge mastiff ran from a verandah right out onto the street snarling and barking at me - it came only about a metre away from where I was and I was a few houses down… it scared the living daylights out of me and I honestly thought it was going to attack me. The owner who was inside the house opened her front door and yelled out 'sorry' but did not come to get the dog!!! I no longer take my dog for walks around this area anymore... That is definitely worthy of a complain to council. He could well have attacked had you been someone who panicked and ran. She'll be saying more than sorry if she cops a fine from the council. That would have been terrifying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackJaq Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I would complain regularly, in writing and with photos. Get all your neighbours and friends to do the same if you possible. Also, I started carrying a jockey whip when I walk my dogs in town like the old ladies with SWFs do. Works a treat usually Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 It makes no difference if it's an off leash area, all dogs are still required to be under effective control. Your best bet is to identify and write letters regarding individual dogs and their owners. It may take some time but you need to mention the words " duty of care" and fearing for your safety and that of your dogs. There's no need to muzzle your own dogs, just keep them on leash. Carry something to crack the approaching dogs with or use your boot if necessary. The owners will soon get the message that their animals behaviour is not acceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubiton Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Take details and contact the council - note your concerns that something may happen in the future or indeed other dogs etc. I wrote about some shih tzus that the owner would walk in an area noted as on lead and just let them go like it was their own back yard (and that's how they acted). I noted that I was baled up with one in front and one trying to get to my dog behind me and while she would not fight back another dog may and that owner will be in trouble when their dog hadn't started it and it doesn't take much for a bigger dog defending itself to be painted as the one in the wrong. I happened to get talking to a lady at the bank who also sometimes walked a dog in the area and also had issues and I said to just complain to council - doesn't have to be the official attack form but to let them know of a problem that might get worse. Soon after I did notice random people sitting in said park just watching at about the same time each day and didn't come across the shih tzus off lead again (I had contacted the council a few times after each time they had a go at us saying the owner needed to learn how to control his dogs). And the time I was actually attacked they did investigate and speak to the people (though it was a little hard to work out the residence as it was a line of units with no yards). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I would complain regularly, in writing and with photos. Get all your neighbours and friends to do the same if you possible. Also, I started carrying a jockey whip when I walk my dogs in town like the old ladies with SWFs do. Works a treat usually I'm an old[er] lady with SWFs. I have yet to brandish a stick to ward off rampaging other dogs. I do, however, from time to time, pick up an interesting looking stick to use as a walking aid :laugh: :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I complained in my previous neighbourhood and the council started patrolling the park where it occurred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 I think councils are taking dog complaints alot more seriously of late than they used to a few years ago. Certainly in my area they are. About 6 years ago I rang them to complain about a frightening wandering dog that bailed me up on my own property! I knew where the dog lived but they told me then that I would have to catch the dog before they would come out. But in the following years much changed, and a few years later they took my complaint of Penny whippet being attacked very seriously, although I never saw the attacking dog again, they did their best to investigate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mummamia Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 (edited) Good luck with complaining to council... It may if your lucky... Help in the immediate future... but not in the long run... Please keep that muzzle on your dog... A little while back in an onleash area... A friend had his rottie on leash and a little foo foo charged at him and rottie killed little foo foo in an instant... Rottie then had to be put down... Down risk your dog paying the price for the stupid people... I'm sure you've seen the leashes and collars that can warn people about letting their dog get too close... Something to think about... Edited July 9, 2013 by Mummamia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackJaq Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I would complain regularly, in writing and with photos. Get all your neighbours and friends to do the same if you possible. Also, I started carrying a jockey whip when I walk my dogs in town like the old ladies with SWFs do. Works a treat usually I'm an old[er] lady with SWFs. I have yet to brandish a stick to ward off rampaging other dogs. I do, however, from time to time, pick up an interesting looking stick to use as a walking aid :laugh: :laugh: Sorry, I didn't mean old ladies in general, but in my area that is a very common sight. Like very common. Pretty much two out of three elderly people, not all just ladies either, walk their littlies with some kind of stick/crop/umbrella/weapon and they kind of need to (as do I) to fend off the huge number of roaming dogs around here. You complain about one and even if council do anything about that one, two different ones will cause a problem the next day. And five the next day. It's like a magical nest of shitty owners spews forth its darkness every day :p :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 I'm sick of us constantly being harassed by off-lead dogs that the owners (if they are even anywhere in sight) have no control over whatsoever. It's now at the stage that I won't walk her on weekends or during early mornings/late afternoons as that seems to be when these idiots like to parade the local streets with their dogs off-lead and also let them run riot in the local park. Thankfully I work part-time so can walk her several weekdays during the daytime, and I also tend to walk her at night during the week as well - but even that is becoming a problem, with off-lead dogs suddenly looming out of the darkness and you have no idea whether someone is with it or not. Our closest park is a sizeable football oval and fair enough if people want to exercise their dog off-lead there. However, if I am keeping to the footpath which is OUTSIDE the boundaries of the park and have my dog on-lead, I do not expect to have some idiot's dog come barrelling across from way over the other side of the oval and tearing straight towards us (the owner usually yells a few times but doesn't bother to move their lazy backside to actually DO anything about retrieving their mutt). These dogs are often acting in quite an aggressive fashion, or at the very least have little or no "dog manners" and will usually rush at my girl and get right in her face, which does NOT go down well. She's getting old now, but since being attacked a few years ago, she has become very defensive when another dog rush comes at us in that fashion. And to the owner - I don't give a rat's furry ar$e how many times you yell "oh, he/she's friendly" (oh really, with tail straight up in the air and hackles up as it comes at my dog?) - my dog does NOT like another dog rushing at her or getting "in her face" and she will react accordingly - and so will I, for that matter, as I now carry at least one or two defence methods to ward off these damn animals. I've actually crossed the road a couple of times to get away from some extremely aggressive dogs, which then sends the owners into hysterics as their dog then proceeds to run straight out into the road to follow us. Not my problem - I'm more concerned with getting my dog away from a potentially dangerous situation, and if the owner doesn't have sufficient control over their dog to either stop it running at us in the first place or having a reliable recall in place, then if their dog ends up in the middle of the road, that's the owner's problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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