A town councillor has urged members of the public to “call out” dog walkers whose pets appear out of control.
Cllr Paul Titley’s plea came after his three-year-old granddaughter was pounced on by a German Shepherd dog in Keswick’s Fitz Park which then menacingly stood over her.
“If the dog had wanted to take a bite out of my granddaughter’s face there would have been nothing that could have been done to stop it,” Cllr Titley told a meeting of Keswick Town Council.
“I have been using the park for years and never seen anything like this. The terror on my daughter’s face was just hard to imagine.
“I thought it was very important that this incident was brought to your notice. It would appear that they (dog owners) were visitors because I have never seen that dog before and never seen it since.”
Cllr Titley said that he did not want to change the utility of the park by erecting signs about keeping dogs under control. But he felt that members of the public could do their bit by “calling out” dog owners, much as someone would do if they witnessed them not picking up after their pet.
The matter has been reported to the police and will also be discussed by the park’s trust.
Council clerk Vivien Little said that signs in Fitz Park had recently been replaced and they clearly state that dogs must be kept under control.
