What’s Up With Unleashed Dogs? [Block Talk Survey]

ACROSS AMERICA — Sure, you like to let Bella and Max work off their energy with a romp around n the neighborhood and parks. Dogs need to run, you say. And, anyway, dogs just want to be social, and everyone likes to pet a friendly dog, don’t they?

No, actually. These unwilling recipients of your dog’s leaping, slobbering joy may say that presuming you’re OK with it is blissful arrogance on your part. These people ask little: Yes, Bella and Max deserve fresh air and exercise. Just leash them. Or take them to a designated dog park explicitly designed with their exuberance in mind.

A dog owner who lives near a very large park vented on Reddit recently about people who let their dogs off-leash, despite prominently posted park rules clearly stating dogs must be leashed at all times.

“I’ve seen people’s crazy dogs chase strangers, and once saw a dog knock an elderly lady off her feet while the owner of the dog was chasing behind the dog trying to call it back,” the person said, adding later:

“The police literally won’t do anything; I called them when I saw the little old lady get knocked over and they didn’t show up. Animal control is apparently also too busy to help.”

The person’s dog was attacked by “two crazy off-leash dogs with their stupid owner chasing behind them trying to call them off, shouting ‘It’s OK, they’re friendly!’ ” the thread continued. “They were not friendly, at least not to my dog.”

Leash laws aren’t universal. Only two states — Michigan and Pennsylvania — have laws some form of control or restraint for all dogs. The same is implied in other states’ “dogs at large” laws that outlaw loose dogs. And many municipalities adopt ordinances that require dog owners to keep their pets on a leash.

But even with those laws, no leash cop is patrolling the neighborhoods and parks to make sure everyone’s following the rules.

So, how do you resolve this? Siccing animal control on the dog owners seems harsh — you do live near these people, after all, and making an official complaint seems like an opening salvo for neighborhood drama. What about pepper spray? Is that an OK defense?

We’re asking for Block Talk, Patch’s exclusive neighborhood etiquette column. Just fill out the survey below. As always, we don’t collect email addresses.

Editor’s note: This survey closed on March 14.

About Block Talk

Block Talk is an exclusive Patch series on neighborhood etiquette — and readers provide the answers. If you have a topic you'd like for us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com with “Block Talk” as the subject line.

Catch up on Block Talk