Dogs with responsible owners are very welcome in Victoria Park and most people really enjoy seeing happy dogs running freely and playing in the park. To ensure harmony with other park users, please follow these guidelines for good dog etiquette:
Scoop your poop!
Keep your eyes open for where it lands and bring several bags on your walks to be sure you have enough. If you run out, either come back and clean it up later or ask another dog-walker if they have a bag to spare. If the bins are full, take it home or find another bin.
Only let your dog greet a stranger if they ask
Or ask them first and respect their response – sadly not everyone is comfortable around dogs and some dogs aren’t either! If your dog does something to upset someone or another dog (like jumping up or barking) apologise to them and try to prevent this happening again.
Keep your dog under control near children
How adults feel about dogs is largely based on their experience of dogs as children. A bouncy dog can frighten small children, however “friendly” the dog is being.
Nervous or sick dogs
Equally, if your dog is nervous, reactive, or recovering from an operation then please use a yellow collar, lead or high-vis vest to flag to other people that they should keep their distance.
Try to prevent barking
Practice getting your dog’s attention so you can easily redirect them if they bark at people or other dogs. Dogs that bark loudly and frequently can upset local residents.
Do make sure your dog doesn’t disturb or harass wildlife or damage trees
Dogs instinctively chase birds and squirrels but the park is home to a diverse range of wildlife that will abandon the park if disturbed too often. Although it may seem harmless for dogs to play with trees, they can get infected or die when bark or branches are scratched, chewed or pulled off.
Finally…
All dogs must wear a collar with a tag which includes their owner’s name and contact information (telephone number and postcode as a minimum).
Bristol Dog Wardens
Please report stray dogs, dog mess, or dog-on-dog attacks to the Dog Wardens (0117 922 2500).
Stray dogs can also be reported to Bristol Animal Rescue Centre on 0117 977 6043.
Dog-on-human attacks must be reported to the police by calling 101 (non-emergency) or 999
(emergency only).
When reporting you will need to provide:
your name, address and contact details
the date and time of incident
the location of incident
a description of the dog
details of the dog owner
details of any witnesses to the incident