When "Friendly" Isn't Safe; The Reality of Off-Leash Dogs

My dog was attacked by an unleashed dog. On a quiet Sunday morning in April, I started walking my leashed dog in town as we do every day. As we set off into the streets of our neighborhood, a woman with two off leash dogs who was on the phone tried to corral her dogs away from us. She was unsuccessful and the next thing I knew, her dog was charging us and attempting to bite my dog’s head while I worked to keep him and myself out of harm’s way.

After what felt like an eternity, she was able to get her dog away from us and started beating her as punishment. My dog could not put weight on his left leg, and we left the scene as quickly as we could as she repeatedly said “sorry.” My dog was injured, her dog was cowering, and both owners were upset. Everyone lost out on a nice walk that morning because she could not follow a simple rule.

I work for PAWS, but you do not need to have experience in this field to know that these instances occur regularly and demonstrate a disregard for fellow community members. I have also lived in other parts of the country and wonder about the allure of this local off-leash culture.

In listening to other residents share similar experiences, the question remains: why is your dog off leash if she is not trained to respond to your voice command? Title 7 in the Town of Jackson code defines animal control as, “leashed or under voice control regardless of circumstances or distractions that may be encountered, and the Owner shall always be clearly and fully within unobstructed sight and hearing of the Animal. Voice control shall mean the Animal returns immediately to and remains by the side of the Owner in response to a single command of the Owner.”

I often hear “my dog is friendly” when an off-leash dog approaches, which does not solve the issue. When you allow your “friendly” dog to approach a leashed dog, you are not considering the other dog’s needs. The dog might be injured, ill, or simply does not react well when other dogs approach. If you see a leashed dog, that is your cue to immediately call your dog to you and leash them. Etiquette can alleviate incidents.

When inquiring about why owners want their dogs off leash so badly, I was told that dogs want to be “wild,” they want to be “free,” and this is how we “let dogs be dogs”.

People project their emotions onto pets, when realistically our pets are instinctive animals that thrive on boundaries, guidance, and structure. It is up to us to create circumstances for them to enjoy life while not taking the same benefit away from other residents.

I now carry spray that will deter animals but not cause harm while on walks, to protect myself and my dog. I leash my dogs because I do not want to see anything bad happen to them, and because I care about the experience of others.

As a proud dog owner and PAWS employee, I urge my fellow dog owners to be honest about your dog’s abilities with recall and voice control and choose responsibility. Your choices affect us all, especially our dogs.

Stephanie Sokol

Director of Programs & Engagement, PAWS