dogs unleashed
By mummymo
@mummymo (23706)
March 3, 2007 3:40pm CST
I'd like to hear opinions from you guys out there, about an hour ago I was sitting at my pc (on mylot of course) when I heard a dog barking and a cat screeching right under the window. I opened the curtains and window and there was a teenage boy and a dog jumping round all over the place. When I told him the dog should be on a lead he said it wasn't his and that it just started following him - even though he had the lead around his neck! Don't get me wrong I love dogs but think they should be on the lead espescially in residential streets. My cat is now missing after being attacked in her own garden and as she doesn't normally stray far I'm now worried she's hurt and hiding or worse! What do you guys think, should dog owners be more responsible or am I just worrying over nothing(that has been known to happen in the past!)?
5 people like this
7 responses
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
4 Mar 07
We have four cats, who have the entire backyard and bushes to roam freely, if I thought there was a dog loose I'd be worried sick that it would hurt or scare my babies. Our cats are our family and if any dog hurt them, they'd be hell to pay! Cross my cats, cross ME! Dog owners should be responsible and liable for their dog's actions at all times.
4 people like this
@weemam (13372)
•
3 Mar 07
They should be more responsible , and the dogs owners ( the boys parents) should have taught him that , I have had 2 dogs in the past and I never let them make a nuisance of them selves , No pal I would be worried too , I hope your cat is OK , I am sure it is though as they have 9 lives ,( don't forget) and they can fight pretty good too ,take care pal xx
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
4 Mar 07
I agree with you the only time my little Fellow is aloud of the lead is when we are somewhere where there is no traffic, as I am always scared that he will just run on the road, he likes Cats and if he saw one he would just run to it without looking or anything because he wants to play. I do hope that your poor Cat is back now I really do. And I hope she is ok. The Boy was in the wrong and like you say in Residential Areas the Dog should be on the Lead.
@sunshinelady (7609)
• United States
4 Mar 07
Dogs should be on a lead. They are supposed to be under the supervison of the owner at all times. I believe it is the law that they are supposed to be on a leash. Your cat is missing now and to me that does not look good. I hope she returns soon. I hope she just got scared and is hiding. That could have easily been a person the dog was attacking. Even a even tempered dog to me could very easily turn on someone. It has been known to happen. No I don't think you are worring over nothing.
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
3 Mar 07
you should worry, or at least i would. dogs off the lead menace more than cats. they can bite children, even if they've not bitten before. the dog him/herself could be put in jepardy should he/she go out into the street and meet up with a car.
@raydene (9871)
• United States
11 Mar 07
mummymo,
Here in the states we have leash laws in most cities,towns,and villages.Some people that hunt with dogs use them off leash.
Our dogs go out without a leash to pee but have been well trained as to where their boundries are.They are no allowed near the sidewalk and we have the horse pasture at the end of the lawn and they often go there.They also do not chase cats .Of course I'm not in a congested area either.We trained them with the shock collars and they don't want a zap so they stay where they should.
Hope your kitty returns.Might be scared if the dog chased it.I hope it is not caught up a tree or something.You must be worried!
Raydene
@mummymo (23706)
•
11 Mar 07
Hey Raydene Tia turned up the day after posting - a bit shaken but unhurt thankfully! We live in the outskirts of a small city in a heavily populated area and I am sure that dog owners are supposed to keep dogs on the leash but there are always some who just don't care! You're situation seems totally different and I am sure your dogs are well behaved and well looked after - I know how much you love them xxx
1 person likes this
@Jshean20 (14349)
• Canada
11 Mar 07
Of course dogs should be leashed in public, it's always the owners that give certain breeds of dogs bad names because they weren't cared for properly. I own a pitbull/lab mix so you can imagine the stereotypes that this breed (pitbulls) faces everyday. The people who raise these dogs to be fighting dogs wreck the reputation for the whole breed making things very difficult. Dogs should be leashed for their own safety and the safety of others and if they need room to run, they should be in a fenced yard. Also I think that it's a good idea to muzzle a dog in public as long as it's not for overly long periods of time (particularly during hot days where it would be difficult to breathe).
1 person likes this
@mummymo (23706)
•
12 Mar 07
Thank you for the response jshean its good to hear from all the nice dog owners wjo take the responsibility seriously! I do love dogs but at the moment I know that I wouldn't have the strength and patience to look after a dog properly and I wouldn't neglect or mistreat any animal xxx
