'The three dogs would have attacked me' - Laois champion runner
A champion Laois athlete has urged greater care by dog owners, after a frightening incident involving three unleashed dogs.
Aengus Burke who has represented Ireland in Masters cross-country, road and mountain running as well as being a champion soccer player, regularly can be seen running long distances on the Laois roads and across the countryside.
Recently however he was frightened for his life.
"As the bright evenings return I have been back running in parks / public fields and as we all know runners are up there with postmen and cats as top targets for dogs.
"When I see a dog loose in the distance I either divert or turn back, and in fairness most dog walkers put their dog back on a lease or call them back.
"In recent weeks I have had a few close calls, I stop when I see a dog heading towards me, they still come up but have not attacked. Some people shout out that they will not touch you, however a woman in Tullamore shouted that to me a few year ago while the dog had its mouth on my thigh. It is very frightening for runners or walkers to see a dog heading towards them at full speed.
"The highlight came last Friday however, I left one part of the field to enter another when three large dogs came racing towards me, too late to take action.
"I genuinely feared the worst, screaming at the two owners who were 20 meters away. Again I stopped, the owners did nothing whatsoever to control the dogs.
"Two of the dogs came right up to me, circled me and went back, to say I was frightened is an understatement. Imagine if it had being a child or young person running in front of their parent which is a normal enough procedure in this area.
"Again I have no answer and understand dogs need their exercise like the rest of us. Is muzzling an answer? Perhaps even keeping close to your dog, watching the environment to see who else is using the field, ditching the head phones so you are aware who is nearby and where your dog is might help?
"Hopefully something can be sorted so we all can use the facilities without the risk of serious harm.
Aengus says he wants no negative comments towards dog owners, "just possible solutions and perhaps people might just think about their actions , how it effects orhers and also the horrible consequences if things go really wrong".
He told the Leinster Express / Laois Live that more needs to be done by the authorities.
"Without exaggerating the issue something needs to be done. Recent talk about extra wardens and Gardai getting involved is all well and good but being realistic this is not going to solve the issue - I have come across the problem in most of the parks and woods in the county , along with the Slieve Bloom mountains, how do you police that?
"From a runners point of view it is frightening and frustrating to have to constantly change route and turn back when you see a dog ahead 20 metres from their owners, who can be on their phone or listening to music, oblivious to the environment or who is nearby.
"From a much more serious situation somebody is going to get badly hurt - a member of our club was attacked before Christmas and needed hospital treatment. I genuinely believe if I had not stopped running that day (frightened as I was) the three dogs would have attacked me, imagine what chance a child running would have had?
"Most dog owners are responsible and have control of their dogs, perhaps those others will think of their responsibility as dog owners and the life changing injuries that their dogs can carry out before it is too late," Aengus Burke said.
By law, every dog must be licenced, microchipped with a collar and address, and under the control of its owner at all times in public places. Additionally, dogs on the restricted breed list must be muzzled and on a strong short lead in public places, controlled by a person aged over 16 years.