Saturday, April 18, 2009

News Reel - Higher fines for leash laws

Hey check this one out; it's from the Baltimoresun.com:

Dog owners protest higher leash law fines

I stumbled on this article and nearly fell off my chair. Turns out that city officials in Baltimore are receiving flack for raising the fines given to those who walk their dogs without leashes. It sort of goes hand in hand with the blog entry I made on March 21 regarding Seattle Off-Leash Dogs.

News Flash for Dog Owners!

The leash laws are there to protect you, your dogs, other people, children and other dogs. It is also in place to prevent dogs from chasing, catching or killing wildlife and other animals. Stop fighting it! You just show city officials that dog owners are asshats and the rest of us don't want to be grouped in with your crap.

Those of us who are responsible dog owners are always shadowed by those who have to make big deals out of things. Did you asshat-owners ever think that the rest of us are getting tired of paying for your mistakes and your big fat mouth(s)?

I am going to say this slowly ...

If you don't want a fine for having your dog off leash in a controlled area ... DON'T BREAK THE LAW.

It's really very simple.

Asshats.

5 comments:

Cyndi and Stumpy said...

totally!!!!

It's a pretty simple concept, don't break the law (in other words, keep your animal's safety first) and yo won't have to pay the price...

I don't get how a lot of people think, so I can't say I am surprised.

OldMorgans said...

Doncha' know that leash laws are for other people's dogs, not my dog! My dog is always perfectly behaved and it would insult him/her to be on a leash, my little darlin'.
Um, yeah, right.
Good for Baltimore. Will they actually enforce it, though?
sagebeasties.blogspot.com

GoLightly said...

They'll only enforce it in front of my shop. I will let my dog out for a whizzle, and I'll get a ticket.

People with raving lunatic never before been loose dogs will keep terrorizing the public parks.

grumble....
I came THIS close once, to getting a ticket in Sunnybrook Park, with little red dog. She was trained to a "T" at this point. Voice Leash.

Nobody was there. Empty, early morning. Big, um, ponderous guy in an unmarked pick-up truck gets out, as I'm walking quickly past, and says, "where's your leash?" (this is years ago)
I call back over my shoulder "It's an invisible leash." and keep walking rapidly up a very steep hill. Safe. He'd never catch up with us. He was wearing a uniform. Yes, I guess I was in the wrong. What's rules, is rules. Dogs can enjoy MORE exercise, if they are properly Trained!

But these days?
Leash, in public.
Or find a perfect, safe area.
Yeah, right. My "Conservation" area needs constant scoping now, for broken beer bottles. So does the beautiful old cemetery we occasionally use for walks, while in the city. Beautiful places, careless ignorant people.
We need leashes for people, too.

Red dog always got insulted by her leash, as she became more and more my shadow.
"Where do you Think I am?"
Always right beside me.

DogsDeserveFreedom said...

GSC - Surprised? No. Sad? Yes. Disappointed? A little.

OldMorgans - I do hope that they actually do enforce it. I worry that they won't. If they don't than it won't teach a thing to the irresponsible owners.

GoLightly - Murphy's Law, no? I do understand where you're coming from. I find that many people don't have an issue with their dog tearing around the park being a lunatic. They think that's normal for their dog and it means the dog is happy (note that most people will go out of their way to make their dog happy, but won't stick to basic routine?). Most people don't understand dogs.

I think the problem that causes the requirement for leashes is that most people can't recall their dog if another dog comes along. The danger occurs when she's off leash, doesn't recall immediately and goes bounding up to an aggressive dog who then attacks her (who was on leash). A scenario that happens all too often (it's happened many times to me while I'm working an aggressive dog in the early stages).

If your dog recalls on a dime, doesn't approach other dogs/cats/people/cars/road/bikes/rollerblades/skateboards/etc, ignores all stimuli and isn't a bother ... well, than I don't see that a leash is necessary. However, that being said, I haven't met many people who have dogs trained that well (there is only one person I can think of).

GoLightly said...

My red dog was perfect. But she was a street dog in Toronto originally. Kinda savvy, already.
Flip and Blaze?
Not so much:)
They are always leashed, in the big bad city.
It's just safer. But it's hard to watch a friendly, dog company starved dog straining madly to meet my girls. They do get frustrated by leashes, hard to sniff butts thoroughly:)

I don't think I could let either of the girls off in Sunnybrook Park now, it's changed, and not for the better.
After red dog cut her hock(!) on some broken glass, off the beaten path, I thought, okay, that's IT! We'd been walking there for 10 years.

Clean Up Your Garbage!
How people can do that is beyond me. Leave their crap behind, in a nature area. Makes me nuttier, even MorE than usual.
I'm lucky to be where I am. Lots of room to run, nobody else around.
Well, so FAR anyway. Touch wood.
Small Farm Neighbours to my south are flattening the land, and their guard dogs were seen wandering loose on "our" property on Monday, the day I took dogs to work. Whew.
Next will be ATV's roaring around, I betcha.
Then, we're moving.

Anyway, I agree, DDF.
sorry for the blather.