Ruby1Nic Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1236839/Solicitor-General-Vera-Baird-embroiled-row-failing-pick-dogs-mess-railway-station.html Hi Folks, I just wondered what people thought of this piece. I can remember a no. of times when Ruby was a puppy that she was somewhat, how can I put it?......'loose' One particularly embarassing time was when we were walking through our local town and Ruby pulled towards a shop doorway and there she went.....SPLAT! :o I was mortified and there was no way I could even attempt to pick it up. I had to ask shoppers to stand to the side whilst I gesticulated to the lady behind the till to come out. She came out and saw what had happened and I apologised profusely and asked if she would be kind enough to get me a bucket of hot soapy water so that I could clean it up. All the while people were tutting and commenting etc, Ruby was slipping and squirming around in 'it' and I just wanted the ground to swallow me up . Another time she splatted on the pavement on our estate, luckily enough I was able to get home asap and went back out with a bucket to sloosh it all away. However, if anyone had seen me they would have assumed I was leaving it wouldn't they? I appreciate the piece alleges the minister was 'offensive' and whilst I don't condone that, I read from the piece that she had intended to deal (or indeed was dealing) with the puppy's accident with the railway staff and perhaps the lady with pram had jumped the gun in voicing her annoyance at the minister. What do others think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyMalc Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 As per usual with Daily Mail articles, there is a lot of hoo-ha but very little real information. The row was over the mess - nowhere does it say that Vera Baird refused to clean it up, only in the readers' comments. The puppy could have been sick, and in the article it says that she sought and got help from a cleaner dealing with it. It doesn't say whether this was because of the row that she felt pushed into asking for help, or that a cleaner was requested by the officer dealing with it or what. All I'm thinking is that people are jumping to conclusions too quickly - including the woman who challenged her. I mean, if the pup was sick on a station, how are you meant to get stuff to clean it up without moving away from it? It does beat me why you'd want to walk a pup at King's Cross station tho - it's massive and it must be very unpleasant for a pup. But then, she might've had her reasons for being there, we'll never know. I'm sure it the story does sell a few extra copies, which will be great for house training a pup ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafferysmum Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 (edited) talking of which... i have a grass verge right outside my gate, and a dog keeps pooing tons their and outside my gate against my wall.. am dying to catch them!! and say would you like my 7 dogs to come and return the compliment outside your house!! not that i would lower myself or my dogs wouldnt lower themselves but it really grates me.. Edited December 18, 2009 by Cafferysmum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 In terms of whether she was going to clean up or leave it to a cleaner there seems to be room for both argument and benefit of the doubt depending upon your perspective. I'd probably be inclined to give it. In terms of her claimed reaction to being challenged however, regardless of whether that challenge was warranted, I think it's probably true that only her position has prevented her being charged here. The supposed offence is extremely difficult to disprove - as someone effectively only has to say that they felt harassment, alarm or distress & your "guilty" - it's very difficult to prove they didn't & an easy conviction for the police & cps, makes the courts look "tough" on anti social behaviour etc - sometimes the law is an ass. It's a pity she wasn't charged as someone might then have looked at this law a little closer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura_E Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 talking of which... i have a grass verge right outside my gate, and a dog keeps pooing tons their and outside my gate against my wall.. am dying to catch them!! and say would you like my 7 dogs to come and return the compliment outside your house!! not that i would lower myself or my dogs wouldnt lower themselves but it really grates me.. Nobody seems to pick up after their dogs round here and it has got so bad lately that you literally have to walk down the road zig zagging to avoid it. My mum recently staged a stake out to catch the culprit that kept letting their dog mess outside her house and successfully caught them in the act on two occasions. So she decided to return the favour by posting it through the owners letter box! When Bouncer had a dodgy stomach I used to take a litre bottle of water with some bleach in it on our walks, but some times you can't be prepared for these things. During the summer when it was really hot Tess was sick about six times on the way back from the park and there was nothing I could do at the time. I went back after to hose it down as best I could, but initially had to leave it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted December 19, 2009 Report Share Posted December 19, 2009 Nobody seems to pick up after their dogs round here and it has got so bad lately that you literally have to walk down the road zig zagging to avoid it. My mum recently staged a stake out to catch the culprit that kept letting their dog mess outside her house and successfully caught them in the act on two occasions. So she decided to return the favour by posting it through the owners letter box! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mole Posted December 19, 2009 Report Share Posted December 19, 2009 Vera Baird .. arrogant when I've seen her on TV ... and has been mentioned not the best place to take a "pup". Politicians ... "do as I say not as I do" IMO. In our village there are only a few people who deliberately don't pick up .. but I went to visit a friend in a town recently ... very "nice" area but high dog population ... and there was pooh everywhere ... pavements and kids playing field. This is an unworkable law because the dog wardens don't have the time or inclination to enforce it. This means that anti-dog feeling gets to such a pitch that the council's try to bring in more draconian laws like keeping all dogs on leads everywhere which effects the responsible owners as the pooh leavers don't take notice of laws anyway. I would say in these days of mobile phone cameras it would be quite easy to enforce the dog fouling law. However it doesn't help that the dog wardens department (in this area anyway) gives information on the complainant to the person committing the offence. I have personal knowledge of this through a friend who has a Lab (and was in the wrong) and somebody complained about her dog being pushy with her Yorkie and when my friend rang the dogwarden dept about it they told her who it was!!! So if you tell the dog warden about some big macho bloke letting his dog foul they tell him who it was so you get a fist in your face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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