Need Advice Dogs off Leash

Anyone have any suggestions for what to do about all the people around here who walk their dogs off leash? Just happened to me on Stone Hollow. My dog was almost in a fight as the "master" of two off-leash dogs ran around trying to "shoo" his pit bull mix away from my on-leash dog.

He didn't even have a leash with him to contain his dogs who were not obeying him at all. I told him there was a leash law, but like a lot of people, he obviously didn't think the law applied to him. Same old story...

And if this pertains to anyone out there, even if YOUR dog is well-behaved, it's still a law in LOCO and it's there for a reason. When an unleashed dog comes up to sniff a leashed dog, even the nicest of doggies can get into a bad situation . If you feel like you absolutely have to ignore this common sense law, then at least carry a leash with you. I don't believe this dog even had a collar on. Irresponsible and dangerous with no way to get them under his control.

 

Absolutely agree. We walk our dog on the walking trail, always on a leash. It ticks us off how many people walk their dogs with no leash - invariably ending in a situation where our dog is attacked with the idiots clucking about how their dog never does that! Hope folks are listening up, but those type of people wouldn't pay attention to a post like this - you are preaching to the choir.

 

Ain't that the truth, StevieD? Really gets me, because he was getting mad at me! I have the same problem only worse over at the bird sanctuary place by the Harris Teeters. THis one woman had this little doggie off leash. I stopped about 50 feet away and yelled for her to put it on leash. She started mouthing off about how her dog was well behaved, etc. I finally just told her that my dog was very anti-social and had a bad puppyhood and was a rescue dog and that I was actually worried about the safety of her dog! That got her to pick up her dog immediately, of course...

 

My advice would be to petition the community for a dog park. All the other area towns have one. Friendly dogs deserve the opportunity to run around.

 

Friendly dogs still need to be on a leash. My dog is friendly as well until he is approached by an off leash dog while he is still confined by a leash. If people who feel their dogs need to roam want a dog park, they can spend their own time petitioning for one. I will, meanwhile, continue to just obey the law. We have dog parks close by anyway and this guy was just taking his dogs out for a bathroom break. I am sure he wouldn't have gone to a neighborhood dog park to take them for a pee...Don't get me wrong. I'd love a community dog park, but that is NOT the solution to people walking their dogs off leash.

 

I thought the leash law was put in place to protect humans as well, at least in part. I've heard stories about the most tame dogs biting kids. Occationally a dog will feel cornered or bite out of fear.

Taken from the Loudoun County Ordinance Chapter 612 (Dogs and Other Animals):

"ADog 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, in any County owned public park (except for
any specifically designated Aoff-leash A areas) or within any residential development in
any unincorporated area of the County which has a density of two housing units or more
to the gross acre, a dog shall be deemed to run at large while roaming, running or selfhunting off the property of its owner or custodian and not under leash control."

From the loudoun county Animal Control website:

FY 2011 Issues, From FY 04 to FY 09, "dog bites increased approximately 28%"

 

Yup. Absolutely right. Sorry I've been focusing on dog safety, but as a runner also, I'm just as concerned about loose dogs and human safety. There is no question that the law is clear about leashes in a residential area such as Broadlands. Thanks for sharing the actual text from the law.

 

It's just self-entitlement again. The rules don't apply to everyone.

 

i don't take my dog to dog parks because of the undiscplined dogs and owners in them. we built a fence and exercise our JRT is his own back yard, and invite friendly dogs over for playtime. he is walways walked on a leash, and sometimes I carry a big stick on the trail in case i have to defend us against an unleashed "i don't know what came over him" animal.

many a leashed dog will protect its owner from what appears to be a threat, so even if the unleashed dog means no harm, it creates an unstable situation where the leashed dog may react.

 

If you know who the offenders are and where they live, you can contact Loudoun County Animal Control.

My understanding is that they will reach out to the violators via snail mail reminding them of the applicable animal control laws. If the violations continue, Animal Control will stop by for a visit.

I understand however that it's probably more difficult when the offenders aren't neighbors but folks sharing a public trail.