RANT: Highpoint dog owners

[Anonymous]

I’m sorry my temper got the best of me and I yelled at you to put your dog on a leash. I am just so frustrated with your continual lack of respect and consideration for others. I know your big black rottweiler, lab, akita, etc. is the sweetest, most wonderful dog in the whole world. I’ve owned them too. And I’m sure you truly believe they will always come when you call them and you have complete control. It just isn’t true.

I had to change directions 3 times tonight for loose dogs and it’s the same thing every GD night. Of course *your* dog wouldn’t hurt mine. I’m quite sure the owners of every dog who has caused death or injury felt the same way. And my young unsocialized puppy, would beg to differ as well. She doesn’t know she shouldn’t instigate a fight she can’t win, and your dog could take her out in one bite.

Please remember the play fields at Highpoint are not for your enjoyment only. Besides the signs EVERYWHERE saying no dogs off leash, you continue to think you are special, and rules don’t apply to you. Why? Help me understand that mentality?

I’m not normally an a..hole, but I’m really at my wits end. What would make you stop and think of others? Calls to animal control? Police patrols? Taking your license down? What? It seems a silly waste of money and resources, when you could just follow the law, and/or think of others.

[cruiser]

Well said JT, and may I add pick up your dog POOP!

[JoB]

Your off leash dog isn’t just a threat to others… your precious pup is in danger every time you let it off leash.

How do you know that the leashed dog your pup rushes up to play with isn’t aggressive?

How do you know that the person holding the other end of that leash will be able to control their dog?

How do you know someone hasn’t left something unsafe for your dog to eat just out of your eyesight but not out of your dogs ability to smell?

How do you know someone didn’t change their antifreeze or spill something equally toxic in the parking lot or by the side of the road?

How do you know your dog won’t rush up to someone who is deathly afraid of dogs and arms themselves as a result?

How do you know your dog won’t follow someone else’s ball.. or a rabbit.. or a squirrel.. or a bird out into the street? Or otherwise venture out into traffic?

How do you know some sadistic kid or drunk won’t decide to play “points” chasing down dogs across the park with a car or motorcycle?

How do you know your dog is safe if it isn’t on a leash by your side… or at the least on a flexi leash under your control?

I used to walk my akitas without leash in a far less urban environment and now understand just how foolish that was….

i was lucky… will you be?

[amrakx]

Please apply the above to the Alki Beach Park area between 61st and 63rd, simply follow the leash laws posted everywhere, clean up your dog poop, and share the public park with everyone else who follows the rules.

[JoB]

Please apply the above anywhere …

[herongrrrl]

JoB, I want to print that out and post it at Me Kwa Mooks Park, which last time I checked was STILL not a designated off-leash area, but that seems to be news to lots of folks who go there.

[JenV]

hmm, funny- because my neighbors two doors down seem to think the whole neighborhood is their off leash park. it’s gonna be a damn shame when that dachshund gets either picked up by animal control or my front bumper.

[Ken]

JT

If you’re shy about calling animal control on your neighbors, just send me an email with the description (or a cell phone picture) and I will relay it to AC and make the complaint. (My name above this post links to my email)

I have had enough with the off leash dogs and picking up poo in the planting strip. I am thinking of making some signs just for the yuppies who feel laws could not possibly apply to them.

I have three dogs who happily trash their own yard but are never allowed “out” without a leash and pinch collars.

[Anonymous]

Ken, thank-you for that offer and the support. I’d join you in the sign making, but I don’t even know what to say to get through to these people.

This one woman was letting her dog walk so far ahead on it’s own that it was out of her sight half the time. When I yelled it would be nice if you could use a leash, her exact response was *yeah, whatever*.

The sense of entitlement is astonishing and yet I’m the rude one?

I’m still waiting for some of these guys to explain their importance to me on this thread. I’m sure if just understood their specialness, I too could worship the ground their dog walks on.

[amrakx]

“Entitlement” is not limited to yuppies it includes all demographics and posted signs are open to selective seeing. Therefore, I would strongly suggest reporting these violations. Following is a field service request site for leash law violation. I have used it often and always receive a follow up patrol and response. http://www.seattle.gov/animalshelter/ServiceRequest/ServiceRequest.asp

[Anonymous]

All my *special* friends are still walking off leash at the Highpoint park/elementary, so I thought I’d bump this to the top again. I’m not good with breeds but one dog looks like a black Akita in size, shape. I thought it was especially sweet how you trespassed into the construction site and let your dog run all over the debris. That looked safe.

I’m still waiting for you to explain why rules don’t apply to (all of) you. Maybe I’m just not understanding your superior importance. I’m probably risking your wrath by reporting you again, but I have no tolerance for public rudeness.

[vincent]

Yay! passive aggressive people rule! Way to complain on the internet when you could either talk to the neighbor in question, or call the authorities yourself.

NOWAY MAN THATS TOO EASY, COMPLAINING ON A BLOG IS WAY BETTER.

[Anonymous]

Vincent, have I pissed you off for some reason? Didn’t you just spend a week complaining about how car drivers treat bike riders? I’m sure, like me, your intent was to bring the topic to the widest possible audience. Sometimes the group weighing in, causes change of behavior.

And as much as I’d like to live at the park and speak to each and every person, I’m not sure how to logistically go about that. Other people have also mentioned the same actions at their neighborhood parks and I’m only one person. I’ve placed service requests but the animal shelter can’t be everywhere at all times.

Responsible dog owners take the blame for irresponsible dog owners. It becomes frustrating at times. If my emotion bothers you I apologize and would ask that you stick to another thread.

[barmargia]

JT, I think the problem with some of your rant is that you are directing it towards one person that you see all the time, who lives in your neighborhood and who you witness doing these things to. If you are just ranting in general about random people that would be one thing. But in your situation you have a face and a location of where this person lives, I’m not suggesting you go directly to these people but if it is bothering you this bad then call authorities on them. Just ranting directly to them in the hopes that they are reading this blog does seem pretty passive aggressive. Like you don’t want to report them to authorities, but you want everyone reading this to know that you are concerned enough that you noticed it and it pisses you off.

[Kayleigh]

Er, the title of the forum section is “rants and raves.” It seems to me that this is a reasonable place to rant or vent about things that annoy us without having armchair cyberpsychoanalysis.

Not wanting to confront a stranger with a possibly aggressive dog doesn’t strike me as “passive-aggressive”, a term which is getting overused, IMO. It’s reasonable to avoid conflict in certain situations and vent or talk it out later.

[Anonymous]

OK, but I have no idea where any one at the park lives and I really don’t want to follow them home. There’s many different streets that join up with the playfields. If they actually lived on my street I would know them personally. I should be more clear that it is directed at any one who lets there dog run off leash. And it’s generally someone different every day.

I will chill though, and let animal control take care of it. Sorry.

[datamuse]

I have a similar issue with the trails through the woods at Westcrest. Especially since there IS an off-leash area there, quite a sizable one as a matter of fact.

[JanS]

JT…this is the RANT and Rave section…rant away, I say :)

I posted a rave for one particular place…Vincent….are you saying that I shouldn’t post that here, but should go directly to the place of business itself? Silliness..I want as many people as possible to read it. Same thing goes for a RANT. Get a grip and chill…:)

[vincent]

Well the next time I am at the highpoint play fields and I see the guy with a big lab akita whatever I will let him know the dude that scowls at him about his off leash dog, doesn’t bother to call the cops, and likes to RANT on the internet.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Vincent, that would be swell. And I promise to never rant in the RANT section again. By the way, I said I would chill and let animal control take care of the report. What part of that bothers you so much? I wish you would just come over and tell me to my face instead of ranting about it on the internet.

[barmargia]

I didn’t say you should just chill, I was just pointing out where you are just here ranting, and yes to everyone who pointed out this is a ranting forum, I know that, I’m just saying maybe if this is really a problem you should call animal control instead of JUST ranting about it. Nowhere did you indicate you called animal control, all you said was that you would help in making a sign and that you didn’t know how to get through to these people. You see them, evidently all the time, take a picture, email it to AC start a record of the situation. Unless you want to just let it keep going on.

[vincent]

AFTER WORK, BY THE SWINGS, AND IF YOU TELL MOM, YOUR OUT OF THE CLUB FOREVER.

Serious dude, its one thing to rant about something like husky deli not being there for a late ice cream craving, or spd camping out on four hour breaks during the day. But about ONE SPECIFIC dude thats obviously doesn’t use the WSB? Call the waaaaabuluence to help you out.

Man up a bit and figure it out. Or change your name to lattemom.

[Anonymous]

barmar, making a sign was a joke. At least on my part, can’t speak for Ken. And the original *rant* was over a month ago. Animal control and the parks department have been responding and for a few weeks it was really nice. Now people have gone back to their old habits. It’s different dogs every day. The two days a month apart happened to be black dog day. It was a coincidence. Again, not understanding the hostility about ranting on a rant page, but you sure have put me in my place.

And Vincent, I’ll work on that manning up thing, but it’s a little late in life for me to get a sex change. You’ll have to be content with yelling at a girl for now.

[barmargia]

JT, I’m sorry if you think pointing something out is “hostility” on my part, and thanks for the snotty “you sure have put me in my place” comment, I’m guessing that when you wanted to rant you just wanted people to agree with you. I didn’t yell at you, I didn’t call you names, I just posted my observation, but I guess that I’m being hostile because I didn’t jump on your side.

I apologize for not noting the date of the original post

[Anonymous]

barmargia, I didn’t split up my comment very well. I combined responses. I don’t feel understood by you, but I also don’t think you’re being hostile. I added an edit to flip Vincent sh.t about manning up and that made it seem like the whole first paragraph was to you. I am sorry.

[Author]

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