Unleash the Hounds

If there’s one thing to get the local community Facebook site worked up, it’s a discussion about dogs. Dogs off lead, dogs on beaches, dogs at parks, dogs on lead, dog poo, dogs on sportsgrounds, dog owners, dogs barking. In fact, one of the reasons I left the local Facebook page was the passion, and indeed, the nastiness that spewed from people once the topic of our four-legged friends came up. Talk about unleashing the hounds!

Poo on the pavement? Poo on footy fields? Irresponsible owners? Lack of beaches for dogs? Lack of off-lead parks for dogs? Dogs running through playgrounds or sportsgrounds when they are supposed to be on lead? Dogs in the wildlife reserve, rushing birdlife? By-laws officers enforcing fines? Dead birds, yapping puppies and dog attacks all had a run. All of these topics often drew the most virulent of responses, in some cases leading to insults about peoples’ children and campaigns akin to bullying.

Lucy Battersby’s recent piece suggests that when people visit an on-lead park, it would be reasonable to expect they’d be able to enjoy that space with dogs on-lead. Not so, it seems in her experience. Disdain and abuse are often served up in person to those who suggest a dog should be on-lead. My daughter’s own experiences at on-lead parks when she was three led to her developing a fear of dogs after dogs often ran up to us, off-lead. In her face, lunging at her food, rushing in groups. We chose on-lead parks specifically to avoid such interactions, as I was not well-equipped to manage them, yet they continued at all parks we visited. Speaking up to dog owners was always fraught.

Just because you reckon dogs should be on-lead in the on-lead areas doesn’t mean you are anti-dog. Indeed, as a dog owner myself, my labrador gives me the greatest joy. Perhaps it simply means you value civility, respect for shared spaces, and an acceptance of others’ needs, not just your own. Wouldn’t that make for a happier suburb, and extended across the metropolis, a happier and healthier urban community?

In the local Facebook community forum, it seems there is no greater insult than to be called ‘anti-dog’. But I’m going back. I have rejoined the local page, to discover shared interests and to get news of local events. Also, of course, for urban foraging purposes (aka scouring hard rubbish for gold.) There, I hope to find the spirit of generosity and caring which are at the heart of a good community, dog lovers and non-dog people alike. Surely we can keep the nastiness on a short lead, and foster connections rather than aggressions. We’re all in this together. Fingers crossed and poo bags at hand.

Leela at St Kilda Botanic Gardens, (c) Anna Sublet

Published online February 28, 2019 in The Age

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