What a fantastic community effort the 5km Park Run/Walk each Saturday is! All done by volunteers and such a slick operation giving each registered participant their time, their personal best and a host of other statistics while ensuring their safety.
I am sure it must have started many a runner on their running ‘career’. I was an avid participant every Saturday, always a back marker but enjoying the outing and exercise no less.
However, I didn’t go today and will not be going again.
Why? Selfish dog owners.
There ARE dog owners that are exemplary, controlling their dogs and cleaning up after their dogs but . . as a back marker you have to dodge the carpet of poop and vomit not to mention the chaos at the start.
No training to walk at heel or being kept on a short leash, dogs careen all over the place dragging their hapless, inconsiderate owners wherever the fancy takes them and tripping up any unwary park runner they can – I’ve seen several falls by children and older runners caused by this and the owners sail blithely on without a pause to check on the damage their ill-discipline might have caused.
Later the tables turn and the hapless dog now wants to squat to defecate and the uncaring, inconsiderate supposed dog lover continues on, dragging the reluctant, distressed dog by the collar, which then proceeds to spread his load over a considerable distance in dribs and drabs.
It would be impossible for the owner to pick up this mess, even if they showed the slightest inclination to do so.
One wonders why they don’t just stop and allow the dog to defecate in one place – it can’t possibly be because this supposed dog lover values a personal best over his/her dog’s comfort, or could it?
All this means that the back markers in the second run have to pick their way through a stinking mine field, not the uplifting walk in the open one hopes for!
I have several times spoken to the organisers asking them to announce at the beginning that dogs should be kept at heel on a VERY short leash, poop bags should be carried and USED and owners MUST stop when a dog wants to squat.
To my knowledge, this has never been done.
I can only conclude the organisers either are too scared to speak up or don’t care.
What a pity that such a wonderful event is being allowed to be spoiled by a few selfish and/or ignorant people!
JANE WILTSHIRE
Chaka’s Rock
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