I am writing in response to the person who wrote the letter in last week’s Town Crier complaining about the leash law.

The key word is “law.” The law isn’t arbitrary, ambiguous or open to interpretation. You can’t choose which laws you will obey and which ones you won’t.

Do you choose to stop at a red light, or do you go through it if it interferes with the enjoyment of driving?

How do your choices affect other people? Ask the paramedics how many people have been bitten by unleashed dogs.

One of my rescued ARF dogs has been badly injured trying to defend herself against a dog that was running free and trying to attack my dogs through our fence.

There are numerous examples of bad things happening to good dogs who have not been on leashes:

  • The unleashed dog runs off and is never found by its owner.
  • The unleashed dog is attacked by a pack of coyotes.
  • The unleashed dog is mauled by another unleashed dog.

Why take such chances with a pet who is loved and cared for?

Leash laws exist for a reason — the protection of you, your animals and others using public areas.

If one does not like a law, there are avenues available for trying to change it. The answer is not willful disobedience.

De Eskew
Pine Cove

2 COMMENTS

  1. Bravo De Eskew! There are so MANY EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE here on the hill which cause the rest of us grief. Barking dogs which aren't a nuisance if they are YOUR dogs, or unleashed dogs that are just fine when they are YOUR dogs, or loud noise or parties when they are a birthday party for someone special to YOU. Let's enforce the law which was for the benefit of us all to keep the PEACE. I might add that a male rep. of ARF IN THE PAST opposed the enforcement of this revised ordinance…published in the Crier…

  2. Walking my 15lb dog this afternoon, on leash. We were attacked by a large, (100 LB?) dog on Deerfoot Ln that was NOT on leash. I scooped up my dog and carried him like a football which left me with one free hand. The large dog was growling, tightening circles around me and lunging while the owner attempted to sweet talk the dog down. Exceedingly irresponsible, to have a large, aggressive, dangerous dog off leash. It required some very aggressive behavior on my part to fend the dog off, save my dog, and not get bit. I have reported the incident tonthe Riverside division of animal control on the off hand chance that this was not an isolated case with this dog. If it had been my wife, or a kid or someone slightly less capable, this dog would've created a BIG problem.