Comment 86703

By Michelle Martin (registered) - website | Posted February 25, 2013 at 07:52:30

Here, here! My husband and I stopped going for evening walks in Gage Park due to a group of activist dog owners who were meeting there to agitate for a leash-free Gage Park and allowing their dogs (in some cases quite large) to run off leash. I won't walk the rail trails for the same reason (when I was twelve, I was bitten on the shoulder by a neighbour's large dog - "he won't hurt you" - he got me on the shoulder, would have gotten me on the neck but I turned away). The only strange dogs I trust are service dogs, because they are breeds chosen for their intelligence, whose training is very rigorous, and they are always on a leash when out in public because they are working.

In areas that are used by a wide variety of people (old, young, differently abled, folks who use service animals who can't have a large off-leash dog running to their guide dog to "play") leashes must be the rule. I have also spoken to neighbours with smaller dogs who are irritated by larger off-leash dogs bothering their pets when they are out for a walk.

Lobby for more leash free parks, by all means, dog owners, but don't take the law into your own hands. Some, like the young person in this article, may have very weighty reasons for needing to avoid an encounter with an uncontrolled dog.

Comment edited by Michelle Martin on 2013-02-25 07:55:42

“Conviction without experience makes for harshness. ” Flannery O'Connor

Permalink | Context

Events Calendar

There are no upcoming events right now.
Why not post one?

Recent Articles

Article Archives

Blog Archives

Site Tools

Feeds