Whilst walking Spice today on our local common I came across a handwritten poster 'Dog Walker', it gave the name and mobile phone no. of a 12! year old girl who wants to walk peoples dogs,NO CHARGE, it says she has experience of dogs and is available to walk them between 3.30 -5.30pm.
Surely she putting herself at risk giving out such personal information! I thought about ringing the number, but then what would I say? Alternatively I could inform the local police, but I don't know if they would even act on it? I could try to trace the surname in the phone directory,she must be local,but what would I say to the parents, maybe they encourage her to do such things not all parents are responsible adults where their kids are concerned?
What would you do? I could remove the poster of course but then she probably put up others around the common?!

Jacqueline

Ohh this is hard.
12 is quite a young age and with all these wierdo's about it seems worrying that she could go to a strangers house. Possibly her parents might not know and Im just wondering why she wants to do it for free! Maybe she's not allowed a dog or needs more experience to work with dogs. Hm...If i was a parent I wouldnt want my 12 year old daughter doing it alone. Maybe its worth giving her a ring and just saying to her to be careful or ask her to walk dogs with a friend? Or telling her about a rescue who may need young dog walkers? I know many around here that would love more free walkers! (although maybe 12's too young)
Im sure you'll do what ever you feel is best :)

I'm 16 and offered to walk, or train, or spend time with, the dogs at the rescue near us, they have about 120+ dogs at any one time, but they weren't interested coz I needed to be 17! I have a lot of experience with dogs, compete in both agility and obedience, have been around dogs for 10 years, but no, I need to be 17! And that made me pretty cross!

I would tip off the local police station about the poster - they may decide to pop round for a chat :)

In the world that we live in today I think that I'd just have a chat with the local police station too !

You know we thank our lucky stars that we live on the Isle of Man. We don't have to worry about all this stuff, and in fact there is one girl who lives quite near us who walks dogs for eldery people and is very good.