LETTERS

And you think it's OK to have your dog off leash?

Posted 4/25/17

To the Editor: I was thrilled to see the animal control officer parked at the beginning of the paths at Rocky Point on a recent Sunday. I read that they were going to start doing that because of people like you, who believe they do not have to obey the

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LETTERS

And you think it's OK to have your dog off leash?

Posted

To the Editor:

I was thrilled to see the animal control officer parked at the beginning of the paths at Rocky Point on a recent Sunday. I read that they were going to start doing that because of people like you, who believe they do not have to obey the law.

It's exhausting, having to be on high alert at places like Warwick City Park and Rocky Point where the rules are clearly stated: Dogs must be leashed. I come across people like you everywhere, even on the bike path in Warwick, West Warwick, Cranston and Coventry. Granted, I am sensitive to this. My first dog was attacked on two separate occasions by two sets of two (different) dogs. Once on the bike path behind my yard, once on a busy main street. Both times the owners just kept on going, both times equaled trauma for me and my dog, as well as vet bills. So maybe you're not that owner....your dog is friendly. I don't care. My current dog is not. He has his doggy friends, but, not unlike his owner, has a problem with strangers charging up to him. Yes, that is an issue for me, and he also reacts to leashed dogs. We are working on this. You are making this problem worse. And hey, if your dog does get close enough to mine, I can almost guarantee it will not go well, and your dog may start having the same issues that mine does. Imagine that!

I also don't care because I have a friend who was attacked by an off leash dog when she was a child. She is a taxpayer in Warwick and I don't think that it's unreasonable for her to have the expectation of not being frightened by your dog charging up to her when she goes to parks in Warwick where dogs are supposed to be leashed. Fine, you don't care about any of this. While your dog is yards away from you, pooping (I'm sure he or she is fitted with a camera, so you can go back to find it and pick it up, right?), while you scream at your dog to "come" and he ignores you, after I tell you that mine is not friendly (Tip from dog ownership 101, to get your dog to come back to you you're suppose to make coming back to you a positive. So screaming at him at this point is counterproductive. In 15 years of owning a dog and too many occasions to count of coming across loose dogs, I have yet to see a single owner who was able to get their dog back to them on the first shot...or second.). I get the allure of having an off leash dog. There are plenty of places in the state where that is legal, and we don't go to those places.

So, apparently you don't care if your "friendly" dog charges up to anyone who is petrified (or maybe just doesn't like) dogs or care to obey the leash laws. Whatever. What I can't grasp, as someone who loves her dog, is why you have such disregard for the safety of your own. Forget possibly getting hit by a car (there are sections of the bike path that run parallel to busy roads). Forget coming across wild, possibly rabid animals (yes I have heard about rabid coyotes, foxes, raccoons in the places I have mentioned); why don't you care if my dog (or a random stray) hurts yours?

Heather Hartley

West Warwick

Comments

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  • HeatherH

    The title should read "and", not "an" I believe but the original title was an open letter to people who have their dogs off leash...

    Tuesday, April 25, 2017 Report this

  • davebarry109

    Most dog owners are very strange people. If I had a dollar for everyone that said, 'Oh don't worry, he's friendly'. Really? Even if true, maybe I'm allergic? Maybe I don't want your mutt jumping up on me? Maybe you s hould obey the law.

    Tuesday, April 25, 2017 Report this

  • Kammy

    I agree 100%. I walk my dog on a leash in the neighborhood every day twice a day. I am forever trying to fend off dogs that are not on a leash. And yes, you always hear, "don't worry they are friendly". I had to start walking the dog before dawn and at dusk to minimize the encounters. Standing in the middle of a street shouting HELP doesn't elicit the response you think it would. Owners that do not have control over their dogs while in their back/front yard or on a walk to a park need to be fined. Just as you would be fined for not wearing a seat belt. Soon I will start calling animal control if the dog is not leashed. When the safety of myself and my dog are at risk, you do not get to have the freedom to continually break the law.

    Wednesday, April 26, 2017 Report this

  • AmyV70

    I'm sorry to read the posts here regarding animals off leash...such a ridiculous world we live in. I do have some quick tips that I have used and ARE effective.

    1. Umbrella - when the dog comes running, POP that sucker open! It'll scare the dog and stop it dead in it's tracks!

    2. Stick - The dog is coming at you with mouth open ready to chomp down on ya! Hold the stick horizontally and if needed, jam it into their mouth...they'll bite the stick before your yummy arm! PItbulls heads can withstand a lot of trauma before they "get it".

    3. Wheel barrel method - (not a real one) So, the dogs are attacking each other, biting, growling, etc...1st, STAY CALM!!!!! Don't begin screaming & yelling, it only stresses out you and the dog(s)...grab the more aggressive dog's back legs and hoist them up like a wheel barrel and begin (QUICKLY) walking backwards (hence why it's called wheel barrel)...dogs don't like their legs off the ground. Albeit, this is kinda a 2-person job but if there is a truck with an open bed, a garage, anything you can hide you and your dog in, GET THERE!

    Now, I know that the stress of a dog attack can make some "freeze" in fear, but if you practice these, amazingly, when a loose dog is coming at you, you feel more confident to handle the attack with minimal injury to you or your dog.

    Last but not least, be aware of your surroundings...meaning, if the dog takes off, see what house it goes to. It's probably its the dog's home...

    Also, try to remember everything about the dog, breed, color, collar, anything distinctive that pops out at you!

    I hope that any of this helps anyone...it has for me....

    Off-leashed owners are the worst and says something about them....

    Thanks!

    ABV1970

    Saturday, September 9, 2017 Report this