Pooch run-in divides opinion
Dog versus rider Off-lead dog puts cyclist in hospital
A CYCLIST’S call for a crackdown on careless dog owners has revealed divided community opinions.
Newtown’s Robin Povey made the call after an off-leash dog ran in front of his bike along the Queens Park Trail — an area that requires dogs to be on leash.
The 69-year-old spent two weeks in hospital after suffering five broken ribs, a punctured lung and a haematoma in the December incident. The dog owner fled the scene.
Mr Povey’s call for the City of Greater Geelong to take strong action against owners who don’t control their dogs in on-leash areas received mixed reactions from Addy readers.
One, Judy Kennedy from Leopold, said she had also been injured when a dog on a long-lead ran in front of her bike on the Bellarine Rail Trail, causing her to fall and break her leg in five places.
Again, the dog owner fled without offering assistance.
“I was on the ground screaming. (The owner) just stood there and looked, then walked off,” Ms Kennedy said.
“I don’t know if I’m ever going to walk again without a limp,” she said four months after the incident.
Ms Kennedy said she would also like to see dog owners take responsibility for their pets near shared paths.
Some Addy readers sympathised with Mr Povey, calling for dog owners to be fined when not abiding with leash laws.
“The dog shouldn’t have been off the lead,” Lyndall Elliott commented. “How fast or slow he was going is irrelevant, it wouldn’t have happened if the owner had the dog on the lead, as per the rules. End of story. Hope they find the owner and they get fined.”
“Irresponsible dog owners are causing serious issues for runners as well as cyclists,” Matt Petersen said online. “It is not an off-lead area, yet many dog owners have their dogs off the lead along the river.”
Other readers took the chance to criticise cyclists speeding along shared paths.
“It’s a shared path, why was he riding fast enough to be injured at all. It could have been a kid he hit,” Peter Harris said.
“More importantly was the dog OK?” Sam Graqvolin asked. “Maybe he shouldn’t have been going so fast on a shared path. If I was riding my motorcycle so fast I had no chance of braking to avoid a collision, I would be fined.”