Leading the way

I’m the first person to admit that I’m a nervous dog walker, due to previous incidents with dogs off the lead, but why must me and my partner constantly be looking around for dogs off the lead when we take ours out?

Here are a couple of incidents that have happened to me recently:

Walking around where we live, I heard a screech of bicycle brake, and next thing I know, I see two young men on bikes, with a Staffie off the lead, chasing them!

Walking out of Hotham Park in Bognor, I saw a man, a boy and a pushchair.

The man had one Staffie, the boy another and the little girl in the pushchair had a Staffie pup on the lead.

Needless to say, the little girl dropped the lead and the puppy got away from them.

Walking towards the river, my partner saw a shih tzu off the lead, and as she was looking for the owner, the dog tried to attack ours.

Speaking to other people, I know that I’m not the only person concerned about this and I would urge all people worried about this to follow my lead, as I am writing to both our MP and local councillor to ask if there is a way that we can control this problem.

I’m all for dogs having the freedom to walk around – I let mine off the lead around Climping, but this should be done where they do not pose a danger to either other people, dogs, or themselves.

It would seem logical to keep your dog on the lead in town or near busy roads, but some people obviously don’t think so.

N. Young

Eagles Chase

Littlehampton