Outrageous Tales & Silly Sayings

There are many tales circulated around the dog parks about over-zealous rangers that sound too tall to be true - alas they are true! Rangers hiding in bushes at 6am, rangers following people, rangers... The list goes on.

There are also many stories of some of the ridiculous things representatives of Council (either elected or employed) have said in relation to dog matters.

Check out our growing list of "Silly Sayings" and "Outrageous Tales"

If you have your own story or silly saying, email DOGE

Silly Sayings

What a ranger said

"We can't fence the play equipment in as a savage dog might jump the fence and maul the children"

Yes let's make life easier for all those 'savage' dogs and not require them to jump a fence first!

What a Councillor said

"We can't make that open space 'off leash', it's a walkway!"

Hmm, so what is it they think we are doing when we are 'walking' our dogs?

What another Councillor said

"There is still legal space in Bentleigh-Hodgson Reserve. It may only sit a chihuahua, but it's there.

Thanks for nothing!

What a Council employee in the parks division said

"We can't change the leash-free area of Packer Park to the north-western end as it is near the Velodrome and dogs might jump the fence."

Yup, there's those 'jumping' dogs of Glen Eira again.

What yet another Councillor said

"People shouldn't get dogs that need a lot of exercise"

Yes, let's all get healthy by owning fish!

And, ever wondered why those petitions never work?

"Petitions are an anachronism of the democratic process"

Senior Council Administrator

"I can stand on a street corner and get 100 signatures on anything"

A councillor

Yup democracy is alive and well in the City of Glen Eira!

Outrageous Tales

What Council's media release DIDN'T say

Bypassing a fine, Council goes straight to a summons for a woman walking her dog off-leash. The media release trumpets Council's coup of winning an $80 fine and costs of $2,425. What the media release doesn't say is that if Council had just fined the woman, the total would have been $268. What the release also doesn't say is that Council had 4 employees (including their solicitor) in court all day, and that they also consulted a barrister (over a dog fine?) and that the total legal costs they claimed was $11,000.

The magistrate could have fined the dog owner a total of $834 on three charges, instead the fine was two $40 fines for having a dog off leash. Council has potentially spent $8,575 of ratepayers' money to 'win' an $80 fine!

Dog "at large" next to its owner

A man in his 60s opens his back gate (which opens onto parkland) to water a council tree with a bucket from the shower. His elderly small dog wanders out with him, sniffs a tree and has a pee. The ranger is nearby and tells the man to keep his gate shut. The man then receives a fine ($161) in the mail for having a "dog at large".

The man seeks legal advice. His solicitor writes a letter to Council pointing out that "dog at large" is a dog roaming around without its owner. Council drops the charge. A good result for the man, but why should a resident have to go to the trouble and anxiety of having to seek legal advice in the first place?

Don't stop to tie your shoes

An elderly woman with a medical condition is walking her son's dog. She stops and sits on a bench to adjust her shoes - a task which she needs two hands for. The ranger appears out of some bushes and without identifying herself demands the woman's name. The woman takes fright and walks away and is followed by the ranger for 40 minutes before the woman manages to take refuge in a friend's house. Two minutes later the police appear at the door. The case goes to court where the charges are dismissed by the magistrate who queries why the woman is in court at all. The story gets significant coverage on the Jon Faine morning program on 774 ABC Radio Melbourne. The call is followed up by other calls from Glen Eira dog owners also complaining bitterly about over zealous rangers.

Why do the needs of the largest single group of park users always come last?

Read up on our concerns and what we think is needed. Also read some Outrageous Sayings and Tales from dog owners' dealing with Council.