Page 43 - link magazine

swindonlink.com • April 2012 43
Dog training
with charity in mind
K9 Click dog training club meets on
Tuesdays, from 6.30pm, at Hook
Village Hall.
It offers four classes for puppies
to older puppies and aims to raise
money for charity. During the first
year Pathfinders for German Shep-
herds and Guide Dogs for the Blind
are being supported.
The club is run by Pat Oborne
and dog behaviourist Paula Padgett.
For details contact Pat Oborne
on 339608.
www.k9click.co.uk

Dogs and
open spaces

Abbey Meads resident, grandmoth-
er and dog owner Jane Burbidge is
appalled by the amount of dog mess
that is left in public open spaces,
preventing children from being
able to play freely. However, Swin-
don Borough Council admits there
is no easy solution to the problem.
In a plea to Abbey Meads’ coun-
cillor, Peter Heaton-Jones, Jane said:
“the amount of mess makes every
excursion to playing fields and
parks something of a nightmare,
with both carers and children
looking for excrement rather than
running free as dogs are able to
do. This means that the only really
‘clean’ areas in which children can
safely play is a fenced and often
vandalised playground.”
At a time when there is much in
the news about childhood obesity
and ill health arising from lack of
exercise, as well as a trend to high
density housing with small gardens,
Jane feels some local areas should
be allocated as children only spaces,
particularly playing fields and
play areas.
Cllr Heaton-Jones agreed and
made a recommendation to Swin-
don Council parks manager Martin
Hambidge to give some consid-
eration to the possibility of pro-
hibiting dogs from certain areas.
However, in a written reply, Mr
Hambidge explained the council
has to implement byelaws to
exclude dogs from public spaces.
‘The council has considered and
rejected additional powers through
Dog Control Orders on a number of
occasions in recent years. Without
these the council is unable to make
any new byelaws, which would be
difficult and costly to enforce.’
Whilst Jane understands that
owning a dog is a huge pleasure,
she feels that dog owners will want
to join parents, grandparents and
carers, in pressing Swindon Council
to apply for Dog Control Orders, to
enable everyone to enjoy Swindon’s
open spaces, and make the town a
better place to live.

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