Signs of the times.

I thought a lot before making this post. I am, after all, only an accidental and mostly happy dogblogger, and not the kind of person who likes making waves.

But recent events in the peninsula have me outraged.

I am, of course, talking about the incidents of dog poisoning in our local parks.

Over the weekend, I was still meeting dog owners who hadn't heard a thing. This puzzled me as it is after all only a tiny suburb that we live in, with one main street that binds us all.

So this morning, I decided to take a walk and see how much warning is out there.

The answer was dismal.

I met 4 people. Number 1 was at Mort Bay. Her dog was running around off the leash. Yes, she had just read the signs but that was days ago, wasn't it?

Number 2 hadn't heard of the Birchgrove poisonings.

Now I was confused. Hadn't there been any after all?

Then I met Number 3 who knew one of the dogs that had been poisoned at Birchgrove. Alright then.

Number 4 had only heard of the dog poisoning problem this morning. Oh dear.

On my walk, I saw only one warning sign on the streets.

This one, outside Simply Anything 4 Pets on Darling Street. Good on them.

I have to assume this apathy has to do with the fact that it is only dogs that are being poisoned.

I have been told to be alert but not alarmed, to quote some old government propaganda.

Well, I'm afraid I AM alarmed.

I'm alarmed that 5 days since it all started, there are still dog owners out there who aren't being alert because shock! horror! they haven't yet been alerted.

At Mort Bay, the shit that started it all.

Signs from dog owners at the park. If you'd like to read what they say, clicking on the images will enlarge them.

The really conspicuous sign from Council. 

So here sits Mort Bay Park, bathed in this morning's Spring sunshine.

 

Nice and quiet.

Somewhere, no doubt close by, a madman [or woman] is having a good laugh.