Dog in the gamezone?

[JVacation]

Recently seen some photos / videos of a site where there is a dog in the game zone. It is wearing some eye protection and a high vis and walks around with the marshall who is the owner however what is everyone's opinions on it? As a dog owner I would never ever even think about putting my dog in any place of danger. Thing is marshalls are known to get hit by bbs on accident so it can easily happen to the dog and you never know there could be someone willing to hurt it. It's also hard to make sure that the eye protection stays on the dog 100% of the time.

[Colin Allen]

13 minutes ago, JVacation said:

Recently seen some photos / videos of a site where there is a dog in the game zone. It is wearing some eye protection and a high vis and walks around with the marshall who is the owner however what is everyone's opinions on it? As a dog owner I would never ever even think about putting my dog in any place of danger. Thing is marshalls are known to get hit by bbs on accident so it can easily happen to the dog and you never know there could be someone willing to hurt it. It's also hard to make sure that the eye protection stays on the dog 100% of the time.

It seems like a bloody stupid idea.

[Cannonfodder]

It's fucking stupid of the marshal to do it and the site owner to even allow it. We play knowing we're going to get shot and staff understand the risks when entering the field, but the dog doesn't. Simply put the owner is a massive cockwomble (to put it mildly)and shouldn't be allowed to own pets.

 

There's also the fact that if the worst does happen and the dog gets hit, nobody knows how it will react. It could easily think it's being attacked and go for a player who might not even be the person who fired the shot.

 

Quite simply it shouldn't be happening and I for one would avoid any site which does allow it

Edited October 2, 2023 by Cannonfodder

[JimFromHorsham]

Back in the day at EAG it was quite common to see Tom Andrews little dog  “Charlie” the Westie tearing about the place , chasing pyro 😂 

 

madness really , but everyone knew each other and knew he was there and I don’t recall him ever getting injured. 
 

not condoning it , would T have done it with my own dog .

[strykerles]

what site was it so we know who the idiot is?

[Super64]

I’m sure the insurance company would have something to say about a dog being in the game zone and the potential for someone to be bitten. I doubt it’s mentioned in the policy.

 

It’s one thing for the dog to be in the safe zone, but in the playing area, with the potential for it to get hurt is just stupid and negligent. As mentioned above, we all go knowing we’ll get hit and it’s going to hurt. The dog, on the other hand, has no idea. I’m guessing we’re not talking about some well trained land shark here. 

[Tackle]

Define no no, for all the reasons already mentioned, plus there's plenty of spiteful CNUTS out there that would take a perverse pleasure from taking sneaky potshots at the poor animal to get a reaction. 

Name & shame please ? 

[JVacation]

One of the videos shows it here: 

 

 

I have seen other videos of it walking around in the gamezone too and not just in the vehicle but those were your generic gameplay videos which I can't remember who posted them.

[Cannonfodder]

That's a shame to see, the few times I've played at Rift sites they appeared to be well run. I'm surprised they'd be stupid enough to allow something like that

[Dan Robinson]

They have one at RIFT in Abingdon.  Have to say I had mixed feelings about it.  The pupper was very well trained and sat, without instruction at the entrance to the gamezone until his eyepro was put, on; and he never left the marshall side when in there.

 

I would hate to think of the poor thing getting hit by a BB, but I guessed it would refuse to go in there and be afraid if it had happened with any regularity.

 

 

 

Would i take a dog in?  Would I hell - but like i said - this hound knew what he was doing and seemed to enjoy his day - outside the game zone he was perfectly at ease walking around getting ear scratches and scrounging bits of hot dog and burger.

 

 

 

*edit, just watched the vid and its the same site - didn't see the dog though..... And yes they do love a roundabout in MK, and its a bloody good laugh driving through them.

Edited October 2, 2023 by Dan Robinson

[Cannonfodder]

33 minutes ago, Dan Robinson said:

edit, just watched the vid and its the same site - didn't see the dog though

It's sat in one of the vehicles in the convoy at 7:51. I had to watch it a couple of times before spotting it

Edited October 2, 2023 by Cannonfodder

[Dan Robinson]

Yeah - that's the same doggo.  I remember the marshall saying that the eye pro we saw him in was a temporary set - the ones in the vid must be the replacements.

 

Like i said - mixed feelings, but he certainly wasn't worried about going in the game area.

Edited October 3, 2023 by Dan Robinson

[Rogerborg]

Depends on the doggo, working breeds put up with worse.  Some sadistic wit is going to lob pyro at it or brrrt it eventually though, because people are worse than dogs.  I wouldn't be happy about it, but I probably wouldn't quit a site over it. However, I'd stay well away during games.

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

I used to joke that I'd take my dog.  Working lurcher that couldn't care less about bangs or running through a (measured) 12' patch of brambles.  Doubt she'd flinch at a BB.  Little sod was hard as nails.  Actually didn't though.  Would never have dreamed of giving it a second's serious thought.  

 

Dogs can't sign consent forms for one!

[Impulse]

14 hours ago, JimFromHorsham said:

Back in the day at EAG it was quite common to see Tom Andrews little dog  “Charlie” the Westie tearing about the place , chasing pyro 😂 

 

madness really , but everyone knew each other and knew he was there and I don’t recall him ever getting injured. 
 

not condoning it , would T have done it with my own dog .

 

I don't think Charlie ever left the safe zone though? He might've and I just didn't see it / didn't remember it, but I do remember he would always chase after pyro barking his little head off 😂

 

But yeah, I would never take my dog (if I owned one. Not much of an animal person) into the gameplay area for all the reasons stated by others already. Dog won't know what's going on and doesn't consent to being shot by BB guns and could have a violent reaction to being shot at.

[Shamal]

7 hours ago, Tactical Pith Helmet said:

I used to joke that I'd take my dog.  Working lurcher that couldn't care less about bangs or running through a (measured) 12' patch of brambles.  Doubt she'd flinch at a BB.  Little sod was hard as nails.  Actually didn't though.  Would never have dreamed of giving it a second's serious thought.  

 

Dogs can't sign consent forms for one!

Dogs can't sign consent forms for one!

 

And they are notorious for not calling their hits!

[BigStew]

Animals should never be in a game zone.

[Dan Robinson]

10 hours ago, Rogerborg said:

Depends on the doggo, working breeds put up with worse.  Some sadistic wit is going to lob pyro at it or brrrt it eventually though, because people are worse than dogs.  I wouldn't be happy about it, but I probably wouldn't quit a site over it. However, I'd stay well away during games.

 

Totally agree.  You wouldn't want to be the the bloke going brrrrt at it around me though.

 

I'm trying to remember if there was a reason for him being on the game zone.  I remember talking to the owner later in the day - principally because I had just had my tooth shot out  and he was telling me he had had the same thing happen.  There may or may not have been talk of it being some sort of "emotional support" animal, but I honestly can't remember.

 

Funnily enough I was doing some aerial surveying for farming relatives at the weekend and we were talking about their Spaniel/Lab cross that couldn't resist trying to catch clay pigeons out of the air - which as they can be quite sharp once hit, meant they had to stop taking him to shoots until the urge could be trained out of him.  Daft thing was chasing the drone all around the place even though the blades were big enough to chop its face off (DJI Inspire 1).  In the end we had to lock him in the Orchard because landing with a dying battery is dodgy as all hell with animals running around.

 

 

20 minutes ago, BigStew said:

Animals should never be in a game zone.

 

AWA had a spate of dog walkers walking happily through the game zone even though there was 70 heavily armed blokes lobbing pyro's and going brrrrt pew pew.  You'd have thought the numerous signs around the place would also have been a clue not to wander in.  Luckily nothing/body got shot that wasn't paying to be so.

Edited October 3, 2023 by Dan Robinson

[son of dan]

13 hours ago, Dan Robinson said:

Yeah - that's the same doggo.  I remember the marshall saying that the eye pro we saw him in was a temporary set - the ones in the vid must be the replacements.

 

Like i said - mixed feelings, but he certainly wasn't worried about going in the game area.

imagine barney at an airsoft game?

how do you think he would react 😂

[Dan Robinson]

8 minutes ago, son of dan said:

imagine barney at an airsoft game?

how do you think he would react 😂

Barney has less brains than a 0.2 BB.  He would probably poop himself if someone let off a pyro.

[son of dan]

21 minutes ago, Dan Robinson said:

Barney has less brains than a 0.2 BB.  He would probably poop himself if someone let off a pyro.

imagine barneys reaction from that one pyro that went off next to me in my last game day

my ears still ring because of it 🤣

[Dan Robinson]

That would actually be cruel for any dog - their ears are far more sensitive than ours.  

 

 

Anyway - it's your bedtime.... Scoot.

[Madhouse]

That'll be Eric the dog at Rift. There's a lot of love for him (marshals and players) and heaven forbid anyone that points a pew at him, fire at him and I'd fully expect your body to never be found and everyone to deny you were ever there.

 

Having played there he's a fantastically well behaved cocker and while he may be in the gamezone he's always out of the way, in fact I've never seen him once a game's started. His owner's a great bloke too (typical that I can remember the dog's name but not his!) and he'd certainly not want his dog to come to any harm.

 

Most of us pamper our pets, but it's a gun dog and if it was really working then it'd be in loads more danger. 

 

I'm more than fine with Eric the marshal. Rift's a great site too so if you're avoiding it because of Eric then it's your loss because you're missing out on some great game days and you don't get to meet Eric and the rest of the (human) marshals.

 

I wish my cocker was as well behaved.

[Tommikka]

4 hours ago, Dan Robinson said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

AWA had a spate of dog walkers walking happily through the game zone even though there was 70 heavily armed blokes lobbing pyro's and going brrrrt pew pew.  You'd have thought the numerous signs around the place would also have been a clue not to wander in.  Luckily nothing/body got shot that wasn't paying to be so.

Purely on the dog situation, hopefully they have a justified case to allow it in the game zone plus all the relevant risk assessments and insurance in place if they are ever inspected or the dog is reported in the game zone

 

Councils and the RSPCA don’t have much of a sense of humour where animal welfare is concerned 

 

 

For dog walkers etc when we first ran an event at Ambush Alton and conducted the initial site walk going back across the full site into old zones and the areas between zones the common dog walker / rambling routes were pointed out to us, even with no right of way.

We set off a publicity campaign between us and the site to make the locals aware and put up numerous signs around the paths etc to warn off the date and timings that gameplay will be taking place across the wider site

 

All was going smoothly until I took a radio call from a marshal who had discovered not only a member of the public walking through, but they decided to follow the noise and walk up to an active firefight to get a better view

 

On the opposite extreme at Camouflage Bournemouth we put out extra boundary tapes in some areas - which was colour coded for different ‘categories’ of territory.

A ghillie crawled off to find a nice spot and kept circling away from groups of players. He didn’t look up at the boundary tapes, came to a fence and turned.

He eventually found himself at the boundary and roadside - and chose to walk up the road trying to sneak back in undetected through the car park

Cue Sunday morning traffic congestion near to the airport 

[Dan Robinson]

31 minutes ago, Madhouse said:

I wish my cocker was as well behaved.

 

This might be why I have an image of Eric being a service dog - my mate's Cocker, whilst adorable, is as thick as two short planks cut in half and nailed together.  So dumb in fact that you can't rightly call him poorly behaved because he's two stupid to be judged LOL.