According to one reader of The Portugal News, the dogs belong to the owner of a local beach bar.
The reader, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that in the morning the dogs are left free to roam around the area, sometimes chasing tourists, beachgoers, joggers or people that are walking with their dogs. The reader claims that he watched “ladies run for their lives and small children huddled crying on the side of the road.”
The resident had already complained to the GNR, but this situation remains. The owner of the restaurant told the resident that he will not stop letting his dogs roam free just because of other people and added that “animal instinct is sometimes difficult to control”, according to the reader.
According to a GNR email sent to the resident on 6 July, the necessary measures are going to be taken, however, nothing has changed yet, and the dogs still chase people that walk around the area.
The choice is: shoot the owner or the dogs.
By Fons van den Brink from Alentejo on 20 Aug 2020, 12:33
The owner is violating the law, and police know that.
What are they waiting for, someone's child has to be killed by the dogs before the police do something about the irresponsible owner?
Decreto-Lei n.º 314/2003
Artigo 7.º
Obrigatoriedade do uso de coleira ou peitoral e açaimo ou trela
1 - É obrigatório o uso por todos os cães e gatos que circulem na via ou lugar públicos de coleira ou peitoral, no qual deve estar colocada, por qualquer forma, o nome e morada ou telefone do detentor.
2 - É proibida a presença na via ou lugar públicos de cães sem estarem acompanhados pelo detentor, e sem açaimo funcional, excepto quando conduzidos à trela, em provas e treinos ou, tratando-se de animais utilizados na caça, durante os actos venatórios.
3 - No caso de cães perigosos ou potencialmente perigosos, para além do açaime previsto no número anterior, os animais devem ainda circular com os meios de contenção que forem determinados por legislação especial.
By Eye from Beiras on 20 Aug 2020, 20:36
"Attacking the population"? "Running for their lives"? Have the dogs actually bit anyone? Has anyone gone to a clinic to be treated for a dog bite? (Which I assume would have to be reported. Likewise, if a vet had to treat or put down a pet dog). Of course anyone should be free to walk, run, etc on public property and not have to deal with dogs on the loose. But sometimes you do because of bad owners. So what's the dog's body language? Are they genuinely aggressive, or just playing?(dogs play rough you know). If you run, they run...it's in their nature. If you stand up to them and show who's alpha, they may just back down. I did that with my neighbor's dog. I was doing yardwork and it charged me, barking. I stood my ground, showed no fear, and talked to it like I knew the dog. It knew it lost the challenge and left. And I had no ill-will towards my neighbor, because I know dogs have a pack mentality, and need to establish a hierarchy.
By William from Other on 20 Aug 2020, 20:38
Something has to be done which the Portuguese mentality surrounding their dogs.
By Marc from Other on 21 Aug 2020, 02:10
More stupidity I have seldom read as William (20-08-2020) spits out in his email!
By rakete from Algarve on 23 Aug 2020, 16:25