Susan Jefferies

Councillor Dog                                                                      Saturday August 29^th 2009

Heck ! another job for me, being a Councillor Dog can been quite busy in August.  We have surveyed footpaths and bridleways, walked all around Beacon Heath to Upton and back with a Countryside officer and today’s job is before breakfast !!

Susan and I had an intriguing assignation at 08.30 this morning.  We had been invited for a quiet walk on Corfe Mullen Recreation Ground to see how well the Rec is cared for by the Dog Walkers, who are concerned by the threat of restrictions, Dog Control Orders.

Quite short notice, invited yesterday and Susan only confirmed at 7pm last night that we could be there.

8.30am, our morning walk, well before the teams started to play.  Out of the car and we met Keith Stannard and his wife and dog, then realized that a little way away there were all sorts of people !  12 hours is plenty of time for the midnight barking to do it’s work and the word had got around and lots of people had come to meet us!  Keith was very apologetic but No, we said, Great, the more the merrier! 

Perfect August morning too, clear blue sky, dew still on the grass, scents good.

We all walked quietly and sensibly round the pitches and down to the Dog Walking Field where we were all let off the lead and raced around together, lots of fun and lots of smells, good hedges to sniff in.  I made a lot of new friends, can’t remember everyone’s name but pretty good bunch this lot are!   Collies, Labradors, Golden Retrievers and some very lively terriers too.

We went on to look at the Picnic Field, then returned around the cricket pitch having a really good look.  At 9.15am, as the teams began to arrive we left for home and breakfast.

Our humans talked far too much as you can imagine, but Susan says that they had some really good and sensible discussions and stayed friends, as we all did.   While they were talking I lost my ball to Molly, found another, then lost that one.  Too many distractions and new friends to get to know. 

I have asked Susan to list the main points we noticed for you.

• There were more dogs than we were expecting, probably 30, many more than we ever see on Beacon Heath, this is obviously a very popular place to walk dogs.
• All were well behaved
• The whole area was extremely clean and tidy, we saw not one bit of dog poo.  That includes everywhere, the Dog Walking Field as well.  Much, much cleaner in fact than Beacon Heath.
• Credit must be given to everyone concerned, the groundsmen who look after the Rec and the public who use the area.
• We saw several people picking-up after their dogs and disposing properly in the bins.
• There was no evidence at all of fouling on the playing surface, we inspected all over.
• People did say that wild animals, foxes and badgers, sometimes mess on the pitches at night, but we do not want to be blamed for that.
• Everyone said that they would never run across the pitches when children were playing.  A couple of people were throwing balls for their dogs on the pitches, however the pitches were not being used then.
• Susan inspected her shoes when we got home and they were simply covered in grass cuttings.

Conclusion, we had fun, met lots of good people and saw plenty of evidence of good behaviour and we all hope that this consultation will bring out something positive.

Zac Jefferies August 29^th