FIGURES from Redland City Council regarding dogs attacking people, other canines and wildlife show just how significant the problem is.
As all levels of government encourage population growth (generally as an easy way of making GDP figures look good) problems like this are assuming a speed of their own.
In the Redlands, council seeks population growth as evidenced by its approval of smaller building lots and apartment living.
Many of us do not like it but it has advantages in terms of improving public transport. Besides, we cannot keep spreading out the way we have been, with acreages and large building blocks. These practices have seen good arable land disappear and done much environmental damage.
Naturally, it has down sides. Do we really want to live like they do in London or Hong Kong? These people live cheek by jowl. They have no understanding of the natural world because they rarely see it.
Many live like moles, tearing out of their tiny flats and down a hole to get the tube to work in the morning and repeating the process in the evening.
As populations grow, roads clog, air quality diminishes and many things that Redlanders take for granted, like trees and pretty foreshores, simply disappear. Parks and conservation areas assume a huge importance in residents’ lives.
And here is the rub. As populations grow, so does the number of canines.
In Europe councils, businesses, restaurants and hotels are far more tolerant of dogs than here but, equally, canine owners are far better about controlling their animals. It is normal there to see dogs in places like the tube, on ferries, in hotels and restaurants and in shops.
When our councillors look at whether dogs should be allowed at the weekend markets at Cleveland, they will try to balance many competing issues.
They will look at how society has changed in regard to pets as companion animals, what population pressures are on residents and public amenities and try to find that most difficult of things – balance.
Cr Wendy Boglary is likely right that council needs to employ more control staff. Moreover, councillors nor senior staff cannot afford to cross their fingers and hope this issue will go away.
Perhaps better policing will help bring change among those dog owners whose sense of entitlement makes them think it is ok to let their animals run off-leash at will.
