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Citizen complaint of the day: The running dogs of Blackstone Square and their self-centered owners
By adamg on Thu, 08/15/2013 - 10:13am
A cowered citizen complains:
About 20 dogs are running around off leash in the park. This is a problem. Yesterday, a special needs adult became frightened because a dog came too close to her. The owners don't care. We all love dogs, but too ma dog owners are too self-entitled to care. A lot of hard work and money has gone into beautifying this park. Some have said, "you should be more worried about the drug dealers and homeless." How about this: let's enforce ALL the laws so all can safely enjoy the park.
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Comments
Time to go to meeting...
http://www.blackstonefranklin.org/bfsna
Honestly, this appears to be an ever growing problem in many park/recreation areas. I used to run on trails where dogs were allowed but on-leash only to be accosted by dogs (knocked down, actually, in one instance, and the owner chastised me!), where either the owner's choose not to adhere to the rules and/or curb their dogs - not that their unleashed dogs would of paid any attention!
I don't know what the fix is, really. There are so many dogs now (many people just don't own one dog, multiples are better) that quite possibly there are not enough large run spaces to accomodate. It might come down to having "no dogs allowed" in many park areas, unfortunately.
Unfortunately
I have seen dogs in no dog parks in Somerville. If they don't care about the leash laws, they're not going to care about "no dogs allowed" signs either.
"no dogs allowed"
Good luck banning dogs from a park and having anyone pay attention. Murphy playground in JP has big signs that say dogs aren't allowed but every evening there are dogs all over the park.
Once I even watched some kind of obedience class for dogs going on in that park where DOGS AREN'T ALLOWED. Apparently rule enforcement only applies to pets and not to owners.
I agree.
The key is enforcement by authorities...a long shot for sure.
I would hate to think that if another dog comes at me and I feel threatened, I will use my shod foot to protect myself. Or perhaps carry a large whacking stick? But it might have to come down to that and I will suffer the consequences.
I think you mean
The dog will suffer the consequences! I don't think much would come of you protecting yourself against an animal whose owner is clearly violating written law.
I once saw an idiot dog owner call an ambulance after her unleashed dog was hit bay a car at Fallon Field. Then begin to verbally assault the EMT's when they refused to treat her dog. She clearly lied when calling 911, probably said "someone was hit by a car" vs. her unleash dog ran into traffic.
I was thinking more of
possibly being sued by the owner? But, on the other hand, if the owner is breaking the law? Hmm.
I don't blame the dog, it is only being, well, a dog.
Classic externality
Enforcement should be paid by licensing fees. If enforcement isn't sufficient, raise licensing fees until it is.
The only way to reduce dog owners' externalities is to recoup them.
Hmm, hit 'em in the pocket..
I like it but I don't know if one can charge licensing fees to use a public park.
Silly
The license fees are for owning a dog. The park is free.
Still doesn't help with enforcement
The problem cited here isn't unlicensed dogs, it's dogs being off-leash where they don't belong. What makes you think someone who pays more to license their dog will magically understand that Fluffy doesn't belong in a park or off his leash? In fact, I'd argue that if people are paying high license fees, they're MORE likely to feel like they have a right to be in public parks with their uncontrolled designer mutt.
Full disclosure: I have a dog, which is properly licensed, and kept leashed unless we're in a private, fenced yard or my apartment. Unleashed dogs frequently ruin our walks around the city and I'm all for enforcement. I just think what you're proposing is ineffective.
I agree about the problem
And what I believe would help with this problem is greater enforcement of existing laws. I think you'll agree that currently there is so little it's apparently none.
I'd like to see more, and more enforcement would cost more money. I feel that the creators of the problem are the ideal revenue source. Higher fees for licensing would also have numerous positive secondary effects.
Licensing fees should be sufficient to support a dogcatcher on rounds at every problem park.
More patrol could lead to more fines, which could go back into the same pot to reduce the share borne by licensing fees.
That's how does it. You pay
That's how does it. You pay an annual fee and can have your dog off-leash at certain parks at certain times.
Bogus externality
Why should law-abiding dog owners pay the enforcement costs to deal with lawbreaking dog owners? The lawlessness of *some* dog owners is not a cost that should legitimately be allocated to dog owners as a class.
The same thinking that led to your suggestion would also suggest a tax on 15-22 year old males to cover the costs of street crime, etc.
*Some*
I think you mean MOST! In parks i see more dogs off leashes than on, you know like the majority or most.
Hey i'm a law abiding citizen with no kids. Maybe i shouldn't have to pay as much in taxes and people who own off leash dogs and school aged children.
Your using false logic here.
Your using false logic here. All the dogs you see in a park is not the same as all dogs.
I won't bring my dog to a park where there's a lot of dogs offleash as inevitable some asshat will show up with an aggressive dog that starts a fight.
Bad comparison
Children are not like dogs, and dogs are not like children. Only dog owners think that.
15-18 year old children grow up to be adults, most of them law-abiding and productive members of society.
Dogs forever remain a form of luxury consumption and public nuisance.
License fees can pay not only for enforcement of leash and waste laws but for all the dog pounds for unwanted animals as well as public health impacted by the ubiquitous waste. They can also support public, accessible, and clean dog parks.
But the problem is many of
But the problem is many of the "bad" owners don't bother with dog licenses, so the cost would be borne by the people with dogs who follow the rules.
Spreading the cost
If there were enough enforcement agents, they could impound unlicensed dogs. The cost could be funded by licensing and fines for release of the impounded dogs to the repentant neer-do-wells, or by rehoming and licensing of the dogs to new responsible owners.
This would reduce the number of poorly managed dogs on the street and in parks, allowing you to bring your dog out in safety.
Allowing poor behavior at public expense on the part of so many dog owners imposes a cost on good dog owners. You are paying it now.
a can of mace will fix that handily
I used to run on trails where dogs were allowed but on-leash only to be accosted by dogs (knocked down, actually, in one instance, and the owner chastised me!)
Register with BPD for a FIC, and buy a can of mace for self defense. Maybe dog owners will get better about following leash laws if they keep having to wash mace out of their dog's face.
This is a huge problem on the southwest corridor - particularly since dog owners seem to think they're entitled to block the entire BIKE path, which they shouldn't even be on because they're PEDESTRIANS, who have their own dedicated pathway....but it's also a problem when they have those stupid retractable leashes stretched across the path, or their dog is off-leash and near or on the path and you have no idea what they're going to do.
Why have laws when they're rarely enforced?
During nice weather when the police will sit in their cruisers or on bikes and patrol parks and other popular hangout spots, I frequently see off-leash dogs, people riding illegal minibikes on streets and sidewalks, kids without bicycle helmets, and stereos that can be clearly heard several blocks away. The police don't even ask the people to stop it. Doesn't this pretty much just let everyone that laws aren't enforced and we're all free to do anything we want?
Paperwork
That's why. If a cop issues a ticket for a minor infraction, its just more paperwork they have to do at the end of the day.
Its like jay walkers.. its illegal here, but when was the last time you heard someone getting a ticket? like never..
Dog Attacks
In the space of a week or two we've had two pitbull attacks in Eastie with the results being one mauled dead dog, at least one pitbull put down and two women injured (one of the cases was reported in the Herald).
This is what eventually happens when enforcement is just "too much paperwork" or "not important enough relative to real crimes." The kinds of people who insist on having these compensatory breeds (they accessorize well with handguns, tattoos and bad attitudes) should be written up for the off leash violations, non-licensed dogs, and piss-ant poop non-scooping to prevent these larger offenses.
And as long as the city provides sufficient off-leash, dog-dedicated space (Somerville does a good job with that - the dog park over on Inner Belt Road is probably better than a lot of kids get access to), then you should feel free to berate and call the cops on people who insist on releasing their fuzzy, precious snowflakes on everyone else.
Love the dog, hate the owner.
OHMYGOSH
Children without bicycle helmets!?!?!
QUICK, someone fetch the vapors.
Against the law
Under 16 must wear helmets. Probably been the law longer than you have been alive.
and your point is what, exactly?
It's also illegal to have handlebars higher than a certain height, to have someone ride sidesaddle on your back rack, you have to have reflectors on your pedals, and all sorts of other BS.
helmets
Here you go, eeka.
Disclosure
Again, not me.
Thank you
Thank you for clearing that up. I was wondering again! :)
what's really frustrating
is that there is a dedicated dog park just a few blocks away.
Too full of poo
For Muffy's little Fluffy.
She needs Bostons' Finest Dog Bidet.