Contact Admin. Are you aware that the municipality has plans to restrict the area where people can walk their dogs off-leash in Radloff Park? The area is 4, sqm. The rest of the park, dogs have to be leashed, so no more swims for them in the river! Bearing in mind the small off leash area, there is bound to be dog fights as they will all be so cramped together.
And frankly, to try and walk the dogs on leash past the river where they are used to playing will frustrate them even more. Also, experts in dog behaviour have warned us about the potential of further dog fights and people getting bitten because dogs on a leash are extra protective of their owners and can become extremely aggressive.
Effectively, the Municipality are banning us from the park! The consequences of this are numerous. First, the increase in crime if this plan goes ahead. In the past the park has been a crime hot-spot for drug dealers and prostitutes, pimps and homeless people.
Having so many dog walkers about automatically eliminates the crime problem to such an extent that it has been downgraded from a Hot-Spot to a basically crime free area according to police statistics. A further consequence is the issue for disabled pet owners who are able to walk their dogs from wheelchairs, crutches, Zimmer frames and walking sticks.
Is it fair that they should be discriminated against? Perhaps there are some laws in place to protect their rights. This money is used to pay the salary of a mother with children, to pick up the doggy pooh, so the loss of donations and dogs will mean FORP will have to terminate her services, which is such a shame.
