Wendy from Green Spaces Real Estate and The Wonderful World of Wendy (two of the 86 sites now on our Other Blogs In WS page) wants to let the world of WS dog lovers know about the High Point K9 Club she’s organizing (not just for HP), with meetup #1 planned for September 1st. Find out more here.
Maybe they can do something about all the dog owners who feel that the “Dogs Must Remain on Leash” signs at Lincoln Park and Roxhill Park dont really pertain to them. “well, my dog is nice” “he she wouldnt bite children” Ahhh phoooey. Rules are rules. Even if you pick up your little poopy off of the soccer field, there still is residue for my kid to fall on, step in or sit on.
Hey Todd, what do leash laws have to do with poop residue?
Just wondering, cause you sound, kinda.. confused.
Sorry, two rants melted into one. First one is people who let their dogs run loose at said parks.
THe second rants is about people who let their dog poop on the soccer fields. This has been a very big thing for me. sorry.
Re: Leashes. Agreed. The answer to “well, my dog is nice�
“Mine aren’t, so if you don’t want a broken dog I suggest you keep it away from these guys.”
Totally bluffing, of course, but they do look the part to the unfamiliar. ;)
I further Todd in Westwood’s sentiments about dogs off lease. Dogs are fundamentally animals and nothing else. People can anthropomorphize all they want but at the root of their precious dogs behavior is rooted in animal behavior. “My dog was nice, I don’t know why he bit your baby girl.” People have to take a modicum of personal responsibility with their beasties and keep them under control at all times.
Well, there is a solution. You can either get the dog’s tag number, if the owner has bothered, or you can ask the owner’s name and address and tell them you are going to write to Animal Control. Interestingly enough, this works for barking dogs at night, too. Animal Control is very responsive. This URL (if I did it right, if not – Google “seattle animal shelter request” and click on the first link) takes one directly to their “do something” page href=”http://www.seattle.gov/animalshelter/ServiceRequest/ServiceRequest.asp”>www.seattle.gov/animalshelter/ServiceRequest
way to bring down a nice thing that dog owners are doing to improve their community and get to know their neighbors. sure, there are a some dog owners who could use some better judgement, but not all of them. i just think the rant should be saved for something more pertinent and not something that is actually a positive, community building activity – whether you like dogs or not.
oh, and my comment on the poopie grass…um…where do you think all the squirrels, wolfs, stray cats, birds, possums, raccoons, homeless, drunks, etc. do their business? I’m sure some of it ends up on nice grassy soccer fields. don’t get me wrong – nothing peeves me off more than someone not picking up after their dog, but to think dogs and bad owners are the only ones responsible for some residue on grass is a bit close-minded in my opinion.
Altough I own a dog that I take to Lincoln Park (often and leashed) I agree with those who shun the notion that dogs should be off-leash there. There is an off-leash area 10 minutes away at Westcrest. I have asked several folks with dogs running free at LP why they don’t go to Westcrest… the answer I typically hear “my dog does not get along with the dogs there”. Well SOCIALISE YOUR DOG!!! It will be much happier.
b/t/w don’t get upset at the person enjoying Lincoln Park that does not appreciate your dog running at them (despite the dogs sweetest intentions). They did NOT go to an off leash area and should not have to worry about deciding if a dog running at them has good intentions or not.
I love my dog and dog lovers but let’s be realistic.
Well, Todd, my dog dotes on kids, but he’s not so crazy about aggressive men. And he loves being off leash in Lincoln Park. He does not, however, poop there. So I guess you don’t have to worry about your daughter or the grass, but….
Well Melissa, the law clearly states that ALL dogs in a park in the city of Seattle MUST be on a leash. What makes you so special? Hmmmm?
Todd, chill out. While I agree that some dog owners really do need to keep their dogs restrained, and only well behaved dogs should ever be off leash, a few dogs chasing sticks isn’t really a harbinger of lawlessness and disorder.
Dog owners who let their dogs off-leash when they clearly aren’t supposed to need to stop being so selfish. That is the law, and there could be someone at the park who is terrified of dogs and doesn’t want yours running wild at them (even if the owner thinks their dog is well-behaved). Why is it so hard for some people to think of the consequences their actions have?
I don’t own a dog, but I think dog clubs like the HP one can only help build up a community, which is a good thing. They need more off-leash areas in WS too.
We are not dog owners and aren’t dog loathers either, but we do want to be sure that dog owners realize all the possible consequences of letting their animals offleash where they are not supposed to be. Perhaps the biggest thing to think of is how the dogs deal with small children. We know at least one family with a child who was not hurt when an overexcited unleashed dog tried to “make friends,” but was traumatized literally for years. That same child actually tried to run into the street to get away from dogs, subsequently, leashed or unleashed, many a time, until finally old enough to really understand the reassurances the frantic parents offered.
Sorry everyone for hijacking a thread about a positive group with such a negative topic.
I am sure the people of the new group will be a great group of dog owners.
Todd
Sorry, comment time is over.
| 14 COMMENTS