Leash that Dog! How Leash Laws Protect All Pets

Cutie Cat is collar and leash trained. Because she is declawed and mainly a house cat, she isn't allowed to roam at will. But, being a cat, she loves going out for a few minutes a day. We solved this by allowing her out on a long leash rope where we can keep an eye on her.

One day while she basked in the sun, a large dog streaked onto our property and attacked her. All I could see was a large growling dog. Somehow, Cutie managed to escape that first thrust and run into the house, snapping the collar right off the leash. The episode traumatized her for days.

Though our city's leash law requires all dogs to be under restraint of a competent person when off their property, many owners allow their dogs to wonder the streets. Since we live across from a park, I often observe owners bringing their dogs to the park. It doesn't seem to matter who else may be at the park--children, toddlers, babies--these dog owners ignore the leash law and allow their pets to run off the leash, and do their business.

Some keep their dogs indoors and only allow them to run free and totally without a leash a couple times a day. These pets, along with other dogs that are never penned up and never walked on a leash, leave their waste products in every yard but their own.

"But Rover needs to run. He needs exercise," is the excuse against abiding by a leash law. True pets do need exercise. When our son was growing up he owned a big, black Lab. Midnight needed exercise so we fenced in our yard to allow Midnight the freedom he needed to run. We also followed the leash law and did not allow him off our property without a collar and a leash.

Those who allow their animals to roam free instead of abiding by the leash law, seldom think about the consequences of their actions either for their pets or others. How many times has a beloved pet been crushed under the wheels of a car? In many cases, the driver is as traumatized as the pet's owner. Most of the time, this doesn't need to happen-not if common sense and the leash law is followed.

Dogs, cats or other pets allowed free roam of parks not only leave droppings for others to step into, but may with or without provocation (or for some reason unknown to those at the scene) attack a child or run away with a toddler's toy.

Dogs, cats or other pets that may carry worms or other diseases may well spread these to other pets when they leave droppings in the yard. Our veterinarian said it is almost impossible to clean up a yard once it is infected. That may make it dangerous for another owner to let their pet out on his/her own property.

And, as in the case of our cat, dogs may well attack other pets, even kill them, making the owner liable for vet bills and open to lawsuits.

As owners we need to recognize that the leash law is not just a suggestion...it is the law. But instead of being merely another way for government to clamp down on our freedom, the leash law was instituted to protect us and our pets.

It is time owners cared enough about their dogs, cats and other pets, as well as the rights of others to protect their pets, by obeying the leash law.