Dog attack in Peckham Rye Park yesterday evening.

[Angelina]

This was posted last night on East Dulwich Mums facebook page.

I'm often up there with our dog but haven't see these two......

I just wanted to warn anyone who may go to Peckham Rye Park with their dog at around 7pm at night about a lady and her dogs that we encountered tonight.

She had two black and white collies, one of which attacked my dog - She has a puncture wound on her face and also a punctured ear - I shall spare the pictures as they?re grim.

As she walked away she smugly said ?And that?s why my dog doesn?t like staffies?

Not once did she warn us about her dog as she saw us approaching with our dog, she didn?t have a lead with her and she didn?t try to tell her dog to stop.

Please be wary if you walk your dog around there at around that time, especially if you have a Staffy.

[cella]

Chantal

You have posted in an inappropriate manner previously. This is very inappropriate when the original op is clearly distressed about her dog being attacked.

[tiddles]

Sorry to hear this - walk there most mornings and gave only encountered

Lovely people and their dogs.

will def keep an eye out

Very best wishes for your dog and a speedy recovery.

Lets all keep an eye out for this person

[tiddles]

Just to add - could you give a rough description of the owner

Best wishes

[Angelina]

That was all the lady posted. I'll ask for more info.... but just wanted to let you know.

[Angelina]

.

[Earl Aelfheah]

So many of these types of stories on the forum.

[CharlotteEmily88]

I agree with rahrahrah, there seems to be an out of control dog pretty much every week, if not more often.

My live-in boyfriend was attacked by a small black dog just over six months ago now (on Peckham Rye park) and he's still feeling the effects (i.e. very reluctant to go within a 30-40 metre radius of any dog, which makes taking joint walks together very difficult indeed!)

In my view, the park should not allow dog owners to have dogs off their leads, except in some very tightly defined areas. Perhaps rather like the picnic area in the park specifically prohibits dogs, there could be a similar sized area where dog owners can keep take their dogs.

[tiddles]

I have walked everyday in local parks for the past seven years and have not seen an incident such as this.

These are horrible but unusual incidents -which absolutely should not be disregarded.

Irresponsible dog owners are a pain for ALL park users and i would be delighted for them to be held to account

However thousands of dog owners have lovely uneventful walks everyday - so a bit nervous of draconian on lead laws.

[Penguin68]

It's a matter of control and responsibility, surely? Make dog owners (or walkers) responsible for the actions of their dogs, so that they could be personally arrested and charged for assault if their dogs attacked someone - the dog being treated as a weapon in the control of their owner/ walker and it will be up to them how much control they wish to display, either through good training or through a lead. If their dog attacks another dog they should similarly be treated as the agent of that attack - as if they had attacked the other dog. And the police should treat dog attacks as assault - the 'weapon' might well be seized and destroyed, but the proximate wielder of that weapon - the person nominally in charge of the dog, should be the target of arrest and prosecution in no different manner than if the dog had been a knife or club used to attack someone.

[first mate]

There is plenty of existing legislation (criminal and civil) to enable human victims and police to take action in circumstances described- though police are often ignorant of the legislation. Taking action in regard to serious attacks on other dogs is more difficult. I agree that advocating an on lead policy for all dogs other than in tiny areas is not the way to go. The issue here is antisocial owners.

[tiddles]

I agree dog on dog does not seem to be taken seriously.

[Abe_froeman]

What about dog on wildlife? Plenty of dog owners seem to think it ok to let their animals run around the duck pond off lead terrorising the young waterfowl from the ede of the fence.

[Jules-and-Boo]

I doubt the police have the resources to follow up - is this something that the park rangers can enforce?

Perhaps having the issue raised on the Park noticeboards and a procedure to follow if this happens?

Basically, raising awareness and encouraging witnesses to come forward, take photos and seeking to charge the owners.

It really should not go ignored.

And I don't think reducing the areas dogs can walk off-lead is the answer.

[CharlotteEmily88]

Hi Jules-and-Boo,

Interestingly, my partner did this - he even got a video of the dog owner to take to the police. Since the video only showed the woman walking with her dog (and not the attack itself), the police wouldn't do anything.

first mate - we found it difficult to get police action, since Police viewed the dog as not a 'dangerous dog'. From my second-hand understanding (via my stressed partner), it seemed the police seemed far more interested in what breed/type of dog it was rather than it's behaviour, which just seemed weird to me.

CE

[HelloDulwich]

Was one of the collies a puppy?

[Angelina]

I don't know - the lady who reported it didn't say anything further.

Very few dogs in the park last night, but very lovely out.

I haven't seen anything but I do know of people who won't got to PRP or the one in Camberwell, that also has reported dog attacks