Aerial photograph of Barnard Castle
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Vandals wreck dog field
Sep 11, 2002
A PUBLIC appeal for vigilance has been made by the Barnard Castle Dog Training Club after its dog agility equipment was wrecked to the tune of nearly £400 in an attack at its field.The club, which also runs obedience classes in the rugby club, has for years happily used a field at the Demesnes to put dogs through their agility paces and it is also a training ground for the successful flyball team of Barney Bullets, which has just qualified again for Crufts next year.
But the club’s celebration has been tinged with the frustration of yet another mindless attack in a spate of incidents that have been building up over the past year.
“It’s kids,” said Anne Spiby, whose dog is in the Bullets. “They are just smashing at things and it is so childish. You could almost understand it if people were getting drunk and doing this, but it’s lemonade bottles we are finding not beer cans.
“They cannot have a grudge against us – we haven’t even yelled at anyone – but it’s getting out of hand. We cannot use the damaged contact equipment until it’s mended otherwise the dogs will get splinters in their paws, so it’s out of action at the moment.”
The field will now be regularly policed following the attack in which:
• ‘Weave’ poles were used as spears and swords and were smashed against equipment.
• Two jumps were smashed up.
• Equipment was scattered, thrown into nettles, on the allotments and across surrounding fields. Some items have not be recovered.
• The seesaw was splintered and the A-frame damaged.
“All we can ask is that if anyone sees anything, please contact the police immediately on 01833 637328. Without the help of the public, there is little we can do,” said Anne.
The Bullets, now ranked in the top eight Crufts flyball teams in the country, will be running at the Crufts National Flyball Finals next March after qualifying for the third consecutive year.
Everyone was delighted, especially as there had been a few fitness problems and the current dogs aren’t getting any younger!
The new flyball team, the Barney Bombers, put up an excellent show but unfortunately succumbed to a large entry and inexperience. But with a little more experience, Barnard Castle Dog Training Club is confident there will be two teams running at Crufts soon.