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Saturday, December 05, 2009

Walking the Dog

OWNERS who don't walk their dogs at least once a day face punishment under animal welfare laws proposed by an RSPCA chief

I so hope this will be discussed properly. At the moment it is outrageous. I fully agree with dog owners looking after the health and welfare of their dogs. There are several things you  have to take into account before you slap fines on people. The health and happiness of the dog. The health and happiness of the owner. The neighbourhood. The other dogs in the neighbourhood.The working hours of the owner. The weather. A random once a day walk which is enforced by law is ludicrous. It is inflexible and takes nothing into account. I have a dog with cancer. She is not going for a walk. She is not a dog who is walked regularly anyway because I have a very erratic neighbourhood and I would not want to be out there some days with my dog. 4 different vets have seen her and have all been astounded at her level of health and happiness. We play a lot. I have a big garden. We play ball, we play hamburger ,we jump and we do do all sorts of things to keep her fit and well. My last dog had lymphoma which I was unaware of until he had to be put down but he didn't like walks. He liked to play and then have a bit of a short wander with me. People have to adjust their activities according to who they are. Not everyone walks everyday. Some go to the beach and swim. Some to the pool. Some go to the gym and some have a gym at home. Anything which encourages dog owners to get out there is probably a good thing because people on the streets keep us safe. We have joggers, walkers and dog and children walkers. It has helped...but you cannot tell people to put themselves at risk and you cannot tell people how to manage the health of their dog. What you can do is ensure people are looking after their pets.

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