dog owners -- where is your respect?

You are disgusted by that? Say something to him rather than peering out the window with your hands on your hips. He won't change unless someone says something (chances are he doesn't read this forum).

 

Is there some law saying all dogs need to be in a leash ?

 

Paragraph 612.13 of the Codified County Ordinances says:

612.13 RUNNING AT LARGE.
It shall be unlawful for any owner or custodian to allow any dog to run at large. The Animal Control Officer shall enforce the provisions of this chapter. Any person who permits his dog to run at large, or remain unconfined, unrestricted or not penned up and off the property of the owner or custodian, shall be deemed in violation of this section. (Ord. 82-05. Passed 4-19-82.)

Earlier in the chapter it has the following definition:

(m) "Dog running at large" A dog running at large is a dog which is roaming, running or self-hunting off the property of its owner or custodian and is not under its owner's or custodian's immediate control. However, within any residential development in any unincorporated area of the County which has a density of two housing units to the gross acre or more, a dog shall be deemed to run at large while roaming, running or self-hunting off the property of its owner or custodian and not under leash control.

The penalty is defined as follows:

612.99 PENALTY.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: See Section 202.99 for general Code penalty if no specific penalty is provided.)
Whoever violates or fails to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter relating to animals, for which no specific penalty is provided, is guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) for each offense. A separate offense shall be deemed committed each day during or on which a violation or noncompliance occurs or continues. (Ord. 95-06. Passed 8-2-95.)

So to answer your question - yes, there is a law.

FWIW - I was curious, so I did a search of the county website...

 

Yes ... Loudoun County says that all dogs must not be allowed to run at large. (Loudoun County Ord 612.13)

The Broadlands covenants para 8.2q says: "Pets shall not be permitted on the common area unless accompanied by someone who can control the pet and unless carried or leashed. Pet droppings shall be cleaned up by the Owner of the pet."

As a member of the HOA it is your right, and duty to tell the offending owner to pick up his dog's 'doodie'.







Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

Okay...now I am mad and need to vent... [}][}]

I am sitting in my SW home working from my upstairs home office which looks out over the walking path...a dog owner just went strolling by with her German Shephard which was NOT on a leash. This dog was enjoying itself going back and forth to include going into yards open and not protected by fences and doing its business. The owner paused in her walk while waiting for the dog to finish. What's going on here? Talk about multiple violations and not a whit of courtesy or respect...

I thought of going out on my deck and yelling but realized by the time I got down she'd be gone....and I didn't want to shock anyone by still being in my pj's either.

 

Well...although the HOA is not open yet, at least I called and left a message about what I just observed.

I love animals but this is simply too much to see such blatant disrespect.

 

Earlier in the week (when the weather was nicer!), I went on numerous walks through Broadlands. One to the Stream Vally playground and along the path that runs behind the Community Center and a couple trips up to the Safeway shopping center. I lost count of all the "piles" I saw. It is absolutely DISGUSTING. And since the sun was shining and it was fairly warm, the smell was pretty horrible too. I cannot believe the gall of some of these dog owners. Unfortunately I haven't caught anyone in the act but boy if I do....lookout! Grrrrrr.

 

FYI -- Wes returned my call from the HOA. He has asked that if any of us seeing infractions such as a dog not on a leash to please call and report this to animal control -- especially if the infraction is noticed at times when the HOA is not open. Animal control is 703.777.0406. The more information that can be provided the better. Of course, ideally one needs a name and address of the violator. Lastly, it is really up to us who see violations being committed to confront these individuals.

I called animal control advising them of the time the violation occurred that I witnessed. Without more information, what they can is have someone patrol the area periodically as available. However if they have specifics both animal control and HOA can send a letter directly to the infractor.

 

Just as bad as a dog off leash are those retractable leashes that dog owners use - which means their dog can roam all over the place, there is no control. What people don't realize - you're letting your dog call the shots. When you walk your dog - the dog either needs to be by your side or behind you - never in front. BUT - this takes training.

 

well, I think people see the piles from other dogs and feel like they should not bother cleaning up after theirs...
Also I do not like those retractable leashes either. People walk by my house all the time and let their dog pee in my gardens and further into my lawn.
I guess we need huge signs everywhere that say clean up after your pet, do not let your pet walk all over peoples lawns.

 

If enough people confronted / addressed this situation, maybe dog owners will start thinking about their actions .. or in this case their dogs actions !!

 

If someone has more energy than me, they could write an article on this topic for the Broadlands newsletter...

 

Can we get an amendment to the HOA guidelines prohibiting homeowners from owning retractable leashes? Only choke collars, shock therapy for pooping, and 3' leashes should be permitted!

 

Just so noone gives up hope, wanted to pass along that as I'm working here and glanced out the window I saw a responsible dog owner walking their dog on a 3' leash and furthermore, they picked up after their dog too!!

 

A fine really might do it, but what are we going to do? Enlist volunteers to run around & be the doggy police? For as many dog lovers out there that say their dogs are their "children" (which I think is fine), you'd think they would clean up after them. I don't let my children run around pooping where ever they want!

 

now thats funny

 

That was very funny :-D Hahahahahaha

 

There have been several articles in the Broadlands nesletter on this very subject. I hesitate to put more in becasue I feel like such a broken record. But I will put one in May's letter.

On a personal note: I had this same problem in my neighborhood. The last straw was when my kid stepped in a pile in our yard[xx(] and we don't even have a dog (anymore, we had 2). I made a sign 8x11 printed on my computer. It said "NO DOGGY WALK" I put it in a plastic page protector and stuck it on a stick in my front yard.

Now I know that signs are illegal in the Broadlands (I think my neighborhood has the same rules too). But it was only up there for one day. Then my sign got rained on and all soggy so I took it down. However, the problem has not occured again in 5 years. So I think I got the message across to the right person. So what if they think I'm crabby. I'm not endorsing breaking the HOA rules about signs but I can say it does work.

 

Last year someone around the corner from us made about 2 dozen little signs that said something like 'Respect your neighbors! Pick me up!' and placed them at droppings where someone was walking his dog and not picking up every day. If was both funny and pretty sad at the same time to walk around the corner and see the little signs scattered by the woods edge. Still see dog poop around there but not nearly as much.

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