PET peeved.

how many of you have a pet? a pet that you take outdoors? well, do you have a neighbor/friend/family member that has a pet that goes outdoors?

i thought so.

these are just my thoughts on an unleashed issue...
if you don't have your own pet [typically a dog] that goes outside, you at least know someone who has one. i actually have two dogs that go outside. so now you know one person with an outdoor pet!
i take my two dogs outside multiple times a day to walk them and let them take care of their "doggie business." they both are on a leash, for a variety of reasons. aside from it being the law, i do it to protect them. they both listen very well, but after all, they are dogs. and who knows what will distract them in this great, exciting world. or what will heighten those animalistic instincts. i am not willing to take that risk.
however, a lot of other people in my neighborhood do not walk their dogs on leashes. this really bothers me. i find it unsafe, for many reasons. many times i have been outside with my dogs and leash-less dogs have come running up to us. this often scares them. so now they are on-guard and perhaps aren't as eager to meet this new dog who just startled them. aside from that, if your dog is off running around the neighborhood, aren't you worried about them getting hit by a car? gosh, i would be! there is plenty of fast traffic through our neighborhood and we live off of a major road. it is a dangerous world for a dog who could easily and quickly wonder away from home.

now, most of us live in a place that has a leash law. what exactly is a leash law? it is a law that explains the rule requirements of your pet wearing a leash.

this is the leash law for the town i live in:

"Greenville has a "leash law" that prohibits owners from letting their dogs run free at any time. Owners are required to keep dogs under control when walking and to have pets inoculated [vaccinated]. It is wise to consider the responsibility in having a pet. Please understand the cost and care involved BEFORE you adopt an animal. Consider and plan appropriately what you will do with a pet if you cannot take it with you when you move."
[however, this really could be very subjective because nowhere does it say that the dog has to be restrained. it just says cannot run free. so technically, the dog does not have to be on a leash.]

here are some other leash laws:

raleigh, nc:
"It is against the law for domesticated animals such as dogs and cats to run unrestrained within the City Limits. They must be confined to their guardian's property or walked on a leash. Guardians of dogs and cats can receive a misdemeanor citation for allowing their pets to run at large."

new york city:
"...all dogs must be restrained by a leash or chain not more than six feet in length when the animal is in a public place (except in designated off leash areas)."

chicago:
"The owner of a dog must restrain his or her animal by a leash, confined within a crate, cage or vehicle, or confined on the owner's premises."


leash laws exist for a reason. mostly for you and the dog's safety. here are some of the things that could go wrong during an unleashed doggie walk.

• fido sees something exciting and chooses not to listen to firm commands of "leave it", "stay", "come" or whatever else is being yelled at him. he is off to the races. have fun chasing him. again.
• fido loves to greet new humans, but not all humans like to be greeted by fido. fido is so happy to see a new human, he jumps up on them [since he is not being restrained by a leash]. the human gets upset. ugly words ensue.
• fido has his walking route memorized. he runs ahead, while not paying attention to traffic....need i say more?
• fido meets new dogs, who are on leashes. they are not amused at being ambushed by some random dog. ugly words ensue. 

i am sure fido is a wonderful dog who always listens. or is always nice to new humans and other dogs.

but it only takes one time. one time of fido running away never to be found again. one time of fido trampling over an unsuspecting human. one time of fido chasing something he shouldn't. one time of fido greeting another dog by means of an ambush.

because after all, fido is animal. and no matter how well the humans think they have this animal trained, he will never lose his animalistic instincts to kill, protect, and chase.

woof.

xoxo,
ks