Reply to s/o - Dogs off-leash in public park near little kids

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[quote=Anonymous]We like to take our 2.5-year-old DS to a nearby county park, which has both playground equipment for toddlers and little kids and also nearby ball fields for older children. Dog owners frequently let their pets off-leash in the ballfield part of the park to run around, chase balls, play with other dogs, etc. Sometimes those unleashed dogs wander down to the playground part of the park, and sometimes DS (and other children) want to spend time up on the ball field part of the park (running around, kicking a ball, etc.). For the most part things seem fine, but every now and then off leash dogs will fight one another, or come up and nose around or jump on the little kids. In these cases, the dog's owner usually lamely calls over, "Don't worry, he's friendly......).  DS is fascinated by dogs but also scared of them. Once, at a different park, an unleashed -- but friendly dog -- bowled him over without warning after bounding over to DS in order to "play."

I know dogs need exercise, but having them roam off leash so near to small children seems like a really bad idea to me. I can't help feeling this is a nasty dog-bite situation waiting to happen. Should I pre-emptively ask owners to put their dogs on the leash in the park? Call the county and get them to enforce the leash law? On the few occasions when I have felt a dog really was a threat to DS or others I have asked owners to put the dogs on-leash. Most do so VERY grudgingly. One even refused. What's up with this? Hello, having your dog off leash is against the law!

What would you do in this situation? I feel that the park belongs to all of us, but for dogs that means they should be on-leash.[/quote]

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