The Bark Park - Secure Dog Field

30/01/2024

I just wanted to update you all on the closure of the field.

We are still closed and it looks like we will be for the foreseeable.

The ground is still so soft and wet.
We know how frustrating it is that we are still closed.

For every email/message I receive asking when the field will be reopen I get a dozen more, when we are open when the field is like this, demanding refunds and expressing their annoyance at the field being muddy.

I unfortunately can’t please everyone.

The field being like this is not only a danger to you, (slips, falls etc) but it’s a health hazard due to dogs urine not being able to be drained away.

Whilst we do this for the public to be able to enjoy a safe space, this is also an income for me and whilst I’m closed, I’m not earning that income so I’m not closed just for the sake of it. It’s so frustrating, I get it. It breaks my heart to see the field like this and you guys not being able to use it.

BUT, spring is right around the corner and here’s hoping for a drier, brighter season ahead.

Thank you to everyone who has been patient with us being closed, it won’t be forever.

TBP💚

20/01/2024

FYI

Alabama rot

In the past week we have had a confirmed case of Alabama rot between the Bicester and Thame area.

This disease is relatively new and low risk in this country, but the exact cause is unfortunately unknown. However, it is thought the disease is more commonly contracted in the winter and spring months, potentially correlating to walking in muddy woodland areas.

The clinical symptoms are sudden development of a skin lesion or lesions, commonly found on paws, legs, abdomen, face, muzzles and/or tongue, and generally being unwell (lethargy/inappetence/stiffness/vomiting). The lesions often present circular and look ulcerated with a central 'raw' area, there may also be redness/swelling/bruising around the area, and they are often very painful.

Alabama rot does in some cases cause acute kidney injury leading to kidney failure, however it is important to know that this will not be the case for all dogs.

If you are concerned that your pet is displaying signs of this disease please contact us immediately for further advice.

04/01/2024

UPDATE ON XL BULLY BREEDS/TYPES

We have finally received an update from our Insurers regarding XL Bully Breeds/Types..

They have told us the following must be adhered to in order to continue using our field:

You must have a Certificate of Exemption - which must be obtained and provided to us in the event of a claim

You must have Public Liability Insurance - which must be obtained and provided to us in the event of a claim

Your dog must be on a lead and muzzled until you are safely within the field.

The gate to the car park MUST be locked from the inside, using the padlock provided.

Once the gate is locked, you may remove the lead and muzzle.

Dogs MUST be placed back on the lead and muzzled before leaving the field.

If you have more than 1 dog in your household they are welcome to use the field at the same time. This is the same if you have more than 1 banned breed in your household.

Unfortunately, at this time and until we hear differently from DEFRA or our Insurance Company, you cannot mix households whilst using the field and walking a banned breed.

This is a massive improvement to what has been advised previously via my Insurers and I hope owners will still be able to enjoy time with their dogs in the field.

Whilst we are still closed due to the never-ending wet weather, I have updated the website Terms and Conditions and also added a page specifically for Exempt Dogs so please do take some time to read through these.

I hope to see you all back in the field soon! 🐶

Thanks,
TBP💚

04/01/2024

UPDATE ON XL BULLY BREEDS/TYPES

We have finally received an update from our Insurers regarding XL Bully Breeds/Types..

They have told us the following must be adhered to in order to continue using our field:

You must have a Certificate of Exemption - which must be obtained and provided to us in the event of a claim

You must have Public Liability Insurance - which must be obtained and provided to us in the event of a claim

Your dog must be on a lead and muzzled until you are safely within the field.

The gate to the car park MUST be locked from the inside, using the padlock provided.

Once the gate is locked, you may remove the lead and muzzle.

Dogs MUST be placed back on the lead and muzzled before leaving the field.

If you have more than 1 dog in your household they are welcome to use the field at the same time. This is the same if you have more than 1 banned breed in your household.

Unfortunately, at this time and until we hear differently from DEFRA or our Insurance Company, you cannot mix households whilst using the field and walking a banned breed.

This is a massive improvement to what has been advised previously via my Insurers and I hope owners will still be able to enjoy time with their dogs in the field.

Whilst we are still closed due to the never-ending wet weather, I have updated the website Terms and Conditions and also added a page specifically for Exempt Dogs so please do take some time to read through these.

I hope to see you all back in the field soon! 🐶

Thanks,
TBP💚

www.thebarkparkbicester.co.uk

18/12/2023

Have a wonderful last few weeks of the year.
We will see you in 2024!
🎄🎆

10/12/2023

**BOOKING CALENDAR CLOSED**

We have received a few messages about how muddy the field is.

With more rain forecast we have decided to close the calendar to new bookings.

We will re-evaluate the situation weekly but currently, the field needs a breather.

All existing bookings can proceed, if you’re happy to visit. We are happy to issue coupons to rebook so please contact us through Facebook/Instagram or email.

We hope you all understand. Dog safety is the primary concern above profits.

TBP🐶💚
[email protected]

*photo taken back in the summer

25/11/2023

As the nights and mornings are darker now, we’d like to remind you that we have lighting in the field.

They’re motion sensor lights. They’re on dim all the time (like the ones further away in the photo), until you get closer to them then they will get brighter like the one closer in the photo.

This’ll be great for those early morning/late night walks. No more head torches needed and no more missed 💩’s.

08/11/2023

🐾 Attention XL Bully Owners 🐾

🐾 Attention XL Bully Owners 🐾

On the afternoon of December 3rd, veterinary_behaviour_support & the.muzzle.movement will be hosting an event in Banbury, near Oxfordshire. Please be advised this event is not being run by ourselves. We are sharing to make our XL Bully owners aware, in case they find it helpful.

This event has been created to support owners of XL Bully breeds, in preparation for the ban. As well as offering training tips, providing helpful advice and answering questions, there will be a range of muzzles for your pets to try on and pre-order.

The event will be run in time slots to minimise any stress to your canine companion and most importantly, there will be endless fuss and treats available!

For further information or to book a slot, please contact:
📧 [email protected]
or visit the associated social media pages

01/11/2023

If anyone would like to reschedule their appointment tonight or any time Thursday, please get in touch.

The 24h notice for cancellation/rescheduling does not apply for tonight and tomorrow so even if you want to reschedule an hour or minutes before, please just message.

Please do bare in mind that I do work full time on top of running the field so if you do contact me and I don’t get back to you straight away, don’t worry as I’ll sort it when I can and get you booked in for another day.

Thanks all

TBP🐶

⚠️ We’re prepared for Storm Ciarán as it moves across our central southern England patch overnight on Wednesday and throughout the day on Thursday, with winds speeds up to 70mph along the coast and in excess of 50mph inland.

🟡 As we move to Yellow Alert, we have extra teams on the ground and in our call centres, ready to deal with any impact from this weather event, and we’re proactively calling customers on our Priority Services Register ☎️.

Stay up to date by following our social media channels or visiting ssen.co.uk/storm

28/10/2023

You’ll notice a few solar lights dotted around the field this evening.
We have been busy trying to make the darker months a bit more manageable for you all. Hopefully they’re bright enough but we will see over the next couple of days.

Please let us know if they make a difference or not.

We’ve also had a lovely donation of tennis balls from Bicester Tennis Club so they have been put in the toy box as well.

TBP 🐶

15/10/2023

Sadly, a friend of the family is having to rehome her dog Jackson.
Below is what Jill, Jackson’s owner has said.

“Jackson is a beautiful Cockerpoo. (he's a smoothie so looks more like a spaniel)

I've had him since he was 8 weeks old. He will be 4 in December.

Sadly a few weeks ago, he bit my son (who is severely autistic) it was very out of character and hasn't happened before or since.. but my son is scared of him now which is just so sad.

Sadly, charities won't help us due to the bite as their insurance doesn't cover it..

Because my son went to hospital, the nurse reported the bite to the police. The police are really on my case and I'm scared they're going to seize him if I can't find a suitable home for Jackson.

They don't currently have the power to seize him due to his breed (Cockerpoo)

Jackson is great with children usually. He's great with our cat too. He loves other dogs on his walks and he loves my daughter's dog who is a 6 month old Frenchie..

Jackson really doesn't deserve to be put to sleep as he's so gentle and chilled but being judged over one silly mistake.

I refuse to have him put to sleep..

Any help would be fab but I'm running out of time xx”

If you’re able to help with the rehoming of Jackson, or even to offer advice on where Jill can go to hand Jackson over to a rehoming centre please contact her via email or phone.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07597 265427

Please share.

**We have been given permission to post contact info

30/09/2023

We had the absolute pleasure of meeting the wonderful Professor Noel Fitzpatrick today at Blenheim Palace Autumn Fest!

He spoke to us about the Trust he founded back in May 2014 called Humanimal Trust. Their mission is for;
One Team
One Dream
One Medicine

The goal for them is to remove barriers and seek to close the divide between human and animal medicine. To reduce, refine and replace laboratory animal tests

drives collaboration between vets, doctors and researchers so that all humans and animals benefit from sustainable, medical progress but not at the expense of an animals life.

That’s the meaning of One Medicine and we feel so strongly about this that we have signed the pledge today with a donation towards their amazing efforts.

You can read all about their pledge, sign it and share it with friends and family below.👇🏽

https://www.humanimaltrust.org.uk

16/09/2023

📢 FREE ‘WALK YOUR DOG’ DAY FOR ALL BULLY BREEDS 📢

Please share to your friends and family with Bully Breeds

As some may know, there have been talks recently by the government to ban the XL bully dog. I wanted to take a moment to express that I strongly disagree with this decision. ❌🐶

Banning a specific breed based on stereotypes is not the solution. It’s unethical, inhuman and also unfair to punish responsible owners and well-behaved dogs because of the actions of a few.

It's important to remember that a dog's behavior primarily depends on how it is raised, trained, and socialized. Rather than a blanket ban, we should focus on promoting responsible ownership, education, and better enforcement of existing laws to ensure the safety of all dogs and people.

In light of these circumstances, I believe now is the right time to shower our beloved bully breeds with as much love as possible.

On Saturday 30th September we will be open exclusively for bully breed owners* to walk, exercise, play and just enjoy their bully breed away from all the negatively.

Please contact us directly via Facebook/Instagram messenger or email - [email protected] with the time you would like to attend the field and for how long (25 or 55 minutes). Please also include a photo of your Bully with a piece of paper that has the current date on (this proves, to us, that you are the owner of the dog and it’s not just a photo off Google. Sorry but there are a few people out there that would try this🤣)

*Please note that the field use on Saturday 30th September only is completely free of charge. This is still exclusive use for you and your dog and is NOT a group session meaning there will NOT be any other dogs in the field when you are there.

Please sign the petition

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/643611

15/09/2023

Blaming the wrong end of the lead!

Please sign.

I believe that the XL bully is a kind, beautiful natured breed that loves children and people in general, and are very loyal and loving pets.

10/09/2023

End Breed Specific Legislation and join our campaign to help put an end to the suffering of dogs based on appearance.

08/09/2023

I took the opportunity to mow the field whilst it was quiet today. The heat is a little unbearable for me personally. Happy to see the field quiet the last few days as it’s been far too hot!

Next week is looking much cooler thankfully! ⛅️

It’s been lovely to hear your feedback on our new car park - it’s definitely been a hit and enabled you all to safely bring your dogs in and out of the field.

There were also some toys left out in the field today so can I please remind you all to bring the toys back to the toy box before you leave. It’s on the way to the gate anyway, as is the dog poo bin 💩😁

Thanks
TBP 💚

05/09/2023

We know this isn’t dog related, although we will be sponsoring them with a dog bowl as they’re dog friendly but we’d really appreciate your support in helping our village coffee shop.

They’ve done so much to help the community already. They buy local produce where they can.
They do their bit to tackle loneliness by being part of The Chatty Cafe Scheme UK and they have a great Knit and Natter group.

It would be such a shame to see it close after all they’ve done in such a short time!

You can sign the petition below or pop in and sign in.. and whilst you’re there you might as well get a big slice of cake (seriously, their cakes from The Cake House are the biggest slices of cake we’ve ever seen and delicious too)!

The Village Coffee Shop
🍰 ☕️ 🫖

We have created an online version of the petition for those not able to make it in before we close. ✍️

https://www.change.org/p/support-the-new-home-of-the-village-coffee-shop-launton

HUGE thanks to all those that have signed it already. 🫶

27/08/2023

Uh-oh! We may have gone a bit ball mad🤪⚽️🎾

Someone kindly donated their son’s unused footballs so we’ve added some of these to our toy box.

We’ve been shopping ourselves and bought some more toys too (mainly balls but really, can you ever have too many tennis balls?🤔).

You’ll be able to enjoy the dog toys and our new car park from Bank Holiday Monday when we reopen.

Book below ⬇️
www.thebarkparkbicester.co.uk