Dear Members
This week a gardening volunteer was assaulted in the Preston Park Rose Garden by a member of the public because she had politely asked the woman to put her dog on a lead whilst walking through the Rose Garden.
Week in, week out, we have fantastic volunteers who turn up to help keep the park looking as lovely as we can. They do this for the love of the park, often in terrible weather. However, it has been noticed that there has been a recent increase of dog excrement in the Rose Garden as well as the removal of signs asking dog owners to keep their dogs on a lead whilst walking through the Rose Garden.
Please can we ask that those who refuse to listen to our polite demands, rethink what we are asking?
We are only asking for dogs on a lead in this small part of the park. It is very unpleasant and unhealthy for volunteers to have to work in close contact with dog excrement and urine. As well as this, dogs and children can do quite a lot of damage to the roses if they are not monitored. This is the one part of the park where ball games for dogs and children is inappropriate. The rest of the park is perfect for ball games.
However, and just to be clear, we are not suggesting that we don’t want dogs or children in the Rose Garden, but we are asking for more respect for the garden and for the volunteers. Preston Park is the People’s Park. It is for all citizens to use and we therefore ask everyone to be kinder and more respectful in their day to day use of this very busy and much loved public space.
Thank you, FoPP Committee