Allowing dogs to run off-leash on streets and in parks is against the law.
(Editor’s note: I have received several letters about dog owners, who are upset about those who allow dogs to go off leash on streets and parks. It is a law in Los Angeles that all dogs should be leashed. It is the owner’s responsibility. Please heed the letter I received today, no dog owner should be put through this trauma.)
I am so incredibly sick and tired of not being able to walk my dog on the streets of the Palisades without it being attacked by an off-leash dog whose owner has no control over the untrained dog.
I have great respect for owners who walk their dogs on a leash and can even manage to tolerate off leash dogs whose owners have them trained to perfect recall.
I detest owners who pass us and then let their dogs come at mine from behind. People spend thousands on pedigreed dogs, fancy food, and pricey toys but don’t bother to spend the time or money on basic training and manners.
Today when my golden retriever and I passed 631 Via de la Paz and two dogs came tearing out the open front door at us. I yelled “STOP” which had no effect and tried desperately to get between the larger one’s teeth and my dog as he repeatedly lunged at her. The owner did nothing. The dog bit my dog and I screamed and kicked and eventually scared him off. My dog is once again traumatized.
The owner laughed when I asked if her dog had its shots. Then she ran inside, leaving me to comfort my dog as it lay shaking on the ground.
I can’t tell you how many times this has happened. My once confident puppy is now skittish when other dogs approach.
This time I reported it. I came home and ordered an air horn and pepper spray, which I will carry. The next time this happens I will not hold back, and I am completely confident that I will be yelled at for taking action.
What is WRONG with people?
A responsible dog owner
Malignant oblivious narcissism is rampant across the land. Very sad and portends a disastrous future for our society!
The writer’s experience is ours as well. Our dog is a rescue. She came to us relatively calm and non reactive to other dogs in the neighborhood. Tthe trauma of being attacked 3 separate times while on public sidewalks (on leash) by off leash dogs, who get away from their owners is too much. All in the first few months after we rescued her.
One pulled free from its owner and ran out to the street and attacked her, drawing blood and taking a bite out of one ear. Another jumped over a small fence on a patio and jumped on her back while she was on the sidewalk. But for its owner coming out and our intervention, it was wildly attacking and would have drawn blood too (or been bitten by our dog.) A third one came out of its driveway for a late night walk off leash with its owner and saw my dog and attacked it. It only stopped when I got in between them and kicked it off, while the other owner just stood by, saying it was nothing.
these owners all claimed it had never happened before. Yet, we see these owners with their dogs months later still unable to control their dogs, even when on leash (often only put on when they see us). I regret not reporting these incidents and filing complaints, so that there could be consequences if the behavior recurred with others.
We spent money on training our dog to get over the trauma and to not react just because other dogs are off leash. The least these dog owners could do is understand that their off leash dogs are traumatizing others and try to address the bad behavior. If they can’t control their dogs, they should get them trained for everyone’s sake, including theirs. And they should understand that even when their dogs are trained, when allowed to roam off leash, they can still affect and traumatize other dogs, especially rescued dogs.
This past Sunday I walked with a friend at Potrero. There were lots of people out and there were lots of dogs off leash—on the Potrero trail, by the tennis courts, by the bocce ball courts. We did not see any park employees asking anyone to leash their pets. We are both dog lovers and have walked dogs in the area for years. On a leash. We didn’t see any out of control dogs, but both of us have had many experiences over the years that we are aware of what can happen.
There is no enforcement, everyone knows that, and they just shrug or laugh if you ask them if they know the law re leashing their pet. Start giving out $250 tickets and people will clean up their act.