A concerned East Lothian fisherman has shared advice for dog owners that don’t keep their pets on leads around those fishing, after fearing that his bait or hooks may one day kill a dog.
John Wright, 58, from Dunbar, is an avid fisher whenever he is not working as an agency nurse.
But he says that everytime he goes out to land a prized catch, he is surrounded by around ten dogs off lead that are trying to get to his bait, and sometimes even his hooks.
John says that on one occasion he had a dog jump at his rod to grab the bait from it but luckily the dog did not hook themselves to the line.
On other occasions, dogs have been close to stealing pieces of bait that are often rancid pieces of meat that have been defrosted four or five times, which could cause serious damage to the dogs.
The problem has apparently become worse since more people discovered walks around secluded bodies of water as well as formerly quiet beaches during the pandemic.
Alongside this, John thinks the rise in dog ownership means that he is seeing the issue more and more.
The fisherman adds that he enjoys people and their dogs coming up to stay hello but ultimately the dogs have to be on a lead or under control as they could seriously injure themselves leading to extortionate vet bills or even death.
On the issue of dogs approaching uncontrolled, John said: “I have been fishing across Scotland for a long time and the problem has always been there.
“But it does appear to have increased in recent years with the boom of dog ownership and folk going out for walks around beaches.
“I’ve noticed it recently when fishing at Belhaven beach where it can become extremely busy with dog walkers where their pets are off of the lead.
“Folk just let the dogs run wild but they should be looking out for them approaching people fishing. All we ask is that you stick them on the lead just to go around us. I have no issue with folk approaching us but if the dogs are running into the bait then it is a problem for the dogs and could be a problem for the owners bank balance.
“A few years back I had a hook hanging from the rod and a dog jumped up and tried to grab the bait. It happens a lot. Often my bait can be defrosted four or five times - that cannot be good for a dog if they consume that. Not to mention if they end up swallowing a hook and the damage that could do to the insides.
“My aim with sharing this advice is not to stir up trouble but so people can be aware that what we do can be dangerous to dogs if they are not on a lead. I just worry about the dogs and don't want them getting hurt when rumbling around our baits, so hopefully this can help. We always like dogs and their owners saying hello.”
