"IT'S LIKE A JUNGLE SOMETIMES ..."

… It's like a jungle sometimes

It makes me wonder how I keep from going under.

I went for a walk this morning along the bush track that loops around the bay.

It's a really pleasant walk that is part of a kiwi sanctuary. There are lots of native birds there and, unfortunately, some fucking dogs.

The council has a no dog ruling for this and other walks meaning no fucking dogs allowed, even on leashes. There is supposed to be signage at each end of the track announcing this but dog owners regularly remove the signs. Bastards!

Today as I was walking along, a group of people - 3 women and a man came along with 4 dogs - on leashes. When I say dogs, these were more like large rats. They were those horrible scrappy little runts of dogs that think that they are bigger than they are. Some kind of yappy terrier

One of them charged at me and bit me on the leg just below the knee. It was able to do this because the stupid owner had it on a very long leash. "Oh no, oh no" she cried as she pulled it away - just before I launched a kick at the scruffy rat that would have sent it off the path and into the water.

I let rip at her and the others who each had one of these nonsense dogs on a leash. I told them that no dogs, even on leashes were allowed on the track as it is a kiwi sanctuary. They replied that there was no signage to which I said that was because fucking dog owners remove the signs when they go up. We had a bit of a slanging match where I said that as owners it was their responsibility to find out about council regulations governing their dogs. "I'm not a council rules reading person" said the man to which I told him he was an irresponsible idiot. We weren't really seeing eye to eye at that point. I told them that if I saw them on the track again I'd photograph them and report them to the council.

The track and road loop back to my street and house so later on I met them again. This time the guy, who'd thought about it, was apologetic and offered to pay for any medical expenses I incurred. This morning, instead of shorts I wore some thick track pants so the bite didn't draw blood but I'll no doubt have a bruise. I won't be going to the doctors. I told him that it wouldn't be necessary and again suggested that they check out the regulations on-line.

When I got home I contacted the council on-line (after getting no sensible response from the idiot I talked to on the phone line), reported that I'd been bitten and that they should get some new signage up PDQ.

Dogs in the area are a bloody nuisance. Not far away, in Pataua there is a problem with wandering dogs killing chickens, cats and pet rabbits. About a dozen cats have been killed in the last couple of months. I read on Neighbourly that a 5 year old child is traumatised because she saw het cat being torn apart by two large dogs. There is a ground-swell starting over this and pretty soon we'll hear about dogs being shot. 

I tell you what - if I'd had a gun this morning there'd be one little bastard with a bullet through its head.