Small dogs in trouble in public parks
The warning follows a squabble between two dog owners who allegedly exchanged words at a park in Weltevreden Park after one owner tried to protect her dogs by using a taser against another owner's vicious dog.
Roodepoort/ Krugersdorp SPCA inspector Mike Allen has advised dog owners not to carry tasers as the sound they make might upset a dog and eventually cause it to attack.
The warning follows a squabble between two dog owners who allegedly exchanged words at a park in Weltevreden Park after one owner tried to protect her dogs by using a taser on another owner’s vicious dog.
The incident happened on 29 April at the park adjacent to Rooitou Street, according to Charmaine Pollak, the owner of the two victimised Pekingeses.
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Charmaine said the taser was recommended by her vet after she experienced attacks at every park she decided to take her dogs to.
“The vet I take my dogs to recommended that I get a taser as the noise would keep the dogs away, so I carried that. Well, needless to say, on 29 April, my dogs were charged by a large dog off the leash, and when I fired the taser – when the dog was about 20 metres away – it backed off, but the owner then decided to take an interest in his dog and started swearing at me and carrying on, keeping me occupied while his dog kept charging my dogs,” she explained.
According to Mike Allen, the situation could have been much worse if Charmaine had come across a really aggressive dog. “If you decide to use a taser, you’ve got to be closer to the dog; if not, you might upset the dog even more …
I wouldn’t recommend using a taser, especially not on aggressive dogs such as Pit Bull Terriers or Rottweilers,” he said.
Charmaine also raised the issue of walking dogs off the leash in public parks, despite the signs that clearly indicate that dogs should be on a leash. She told Northsider that in another park that she tried in Randpark Ridge, she was attacked twice while protecting her dogs.
Allen advised the owners of small dogs to avoid public parks as some owners are unable to control their dogs. “If you have a small dog, I wouldn’t advise you to go to public parks. Rather try special doggy parks where dogs can be controlled,” he urged.
Questions surrounding the enforcement of public park rules were posed to the Johannesburg City Parks Department, but a response has not been received.
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