Fined for Brushing

I came across this story the other day.

In Nottingham, England, Roy Wyre has been fined for brushing his dog while in a public park. The town has been "cracking down" on people who leave pet hair in public places apparently. The officer who wrote the ticket also thought that Wyre might be impersonating an officer because of his hi-visibility jacket. (I think it sounds like that was the larger issue - more than the dog hair!)

The ticket was for "litter, large amounts" and was $120. Wyre said, "You could brush Spencer [his dog] all day and there wouldn't be more than a handful of hair coming off, one of the birds will pick it up for a nest." Wyre decided to fight the ticket with the town, and has since won the fight and had the ticket dropped. The town apologized as well.

What do you think of this? Do you ever brush your pets out in a public place and leave the hair? Do you consider it litter if you see someone else doing this? I have noticed pet hair a few times in parks or on beaches, and honestly, it doesn't really bother me. It's natural, and like Wyre, I think birds probably do use the fluff if they come across it. I personally haven't ever done this, but if I had a dog, I might, and probably wouldn't really think I was littering!

--Tammy

Comments

[Leslie]

Interesting. Honestly, I have never brushed my dog in a public place, but I've also never owned a dog that didn't shed constantly so I'm sure we leave dog hair where ever we go. lol

That said, birds will use dog hair to feather their nests (contrary to popular belief the vast majority of birds can't smell and thus don't know the hair is from a 'dangerous' animal) so when we brush our dogs at home, we deliberately put the hair in the woods or in places where the birds might find it.

[Jana Rade]

WOW ... I say blessed is the town that clearly has no more important problems to deal with than dog hair in the park! Or not enough brains to distinguish between what is a problem and what isn't.

[Teri and the cats of Curlz and Swirlz]

Well, being a cat person, I don't have a lot of experience in the outdoor venue such as a dog park, but I do find it annoying at cat shows when there are tumbleweeds of fur everywhere, although my biggest concern is that there are fungal spores on said balls o' fur...so I bleach down my carriers upon return home as they have been on the floor, too. And being a cat person, I still don't get the dog park thing and feel I would be very anxious wondering about the health status of said dog sniffing mine...must be the vet tech in me, as I can't pass a field of cattle wondering on their parasite load, hahameow.

[Jessica @ YouDidWhatWithYourWeiner]

I never even knew people did that. I would see hair but would seriously think some kind of animal got attacked. Eventually I figured it out. I guess it doesn't bother me. It may help the birdies. However, I do think people should be more discreet about it and maybe hide it behind a bush or something instead of leaving it right by the walking path.