Ever since covid - the number of crap dog owners around have multiplied like rabbits. I've lived here for 23 years now. Over that time, the township has come out, bought up land for "green space" They tore out trees, paved the woods - saying better for humans (not very green tho, but they didn't want to hear that). Never had an issue until then - that was 2020 during covid. Sept 11 actually. Now we can no longer walk along the river by our house because of so many off leash bad dog owners. (Not even going to mention the trash, appliances, and masks littering the place now that it has easy access). The park clearly states the leash laws but it seems they don't apply to many - and no enforcement is done. So to avoid conflict or risk my little dogs life, we now drive a few miles out to one of the other parks. Not everyone here has a car, so that's not an option for them. The lady next door no longer walks at any parks for this reason. Sad the one built around our homes isn't safe I want to move - but still working on saving money, finally paid this off and my job is here. Also it turns out jerks are everywhere now so I will need to buy acreage in order to walk safely these days. And sure even that will have to battle trespassers these days. Is there no where to just walk and be safe?
The last three weekends I have addressed the issue with the selfish pricks who continue to do this and they seem emboldened. The one by my house even turned loose his Malinois to attack us - Today I went full karen on them at the kids park we drove to hoping for some consideration as it has a playground. It was 7am - screaming so loud I hope the entire township woke up and heard me. His dog had no recall - was about 80lbs vs. my 20lb dog and charged across a soccer field to get us. He was so far from the owner we couldn't hear the owner calling him - or he wasn't even trying. I would bear spray the dog, but it seems unfair to the dogs. It will also blow back and cause reactions to me and my dog, not to mention the stress it causes us - which bring on an immune flare as I have CFS and it's a big trigger to have sudden stress like that. So now - instead of a mediational walk before family events ... I'm sick; literally. The walks are to destress us- but now it's the opposite. 23 years and this only became an issue in the last two years. I also think of worse things to do .. but again it's the dog that gets those punishments, not the owner. And won't resolve anything as they will just get another dog and do it again. I can usually scream enough to get the dog to stay back. Because of my screaming the dog stopped about ten feet from us and we took off the other direction. The owner hadn't even made a move to come toward us at all AND we had to go back where we came from because it was now the ONLY choice due to other off leash big dogs in the other direction. Those were ones we have confronted several times already - whose dogs also have no recall training. There is an off leash park less then five miles away - but they don't like that option. They are entitled to ruin anyone's else relaxing walk because they want what they want ... sadly these are all old men so far, not teenagers. Folks you think would have had plenty of time to learn about rules and respect. They have none.
Turns out this morning a person walking on the other side heard us and came to see if all was okay - despite my screams the dog kept running full speed at us so I got very loud - this person said they not only know the park comptroller very well - but is well aware of the off the leash dog owners who are there quite often and does know them by name.. Said they will make a formal report using their names. I have called and emailed about the issue but falls on deaf ears. So don't expect much to change. I did notice last year they put up Leash Law ordinace signs every 20 feet or so -- but signs mean nothing to narcissists.
What can I do to change this? Today I started to video it so I could at least make it public or share with the township, but wasn't able to record AND keep my dog safe once I saw we were being charged from an opposite direction as the off leash in front of us - so the phone was tossed aside in order to keep my pup from being tossed aside.
I feel we have no safe space to walk now - every where we go bad dog owners abound. This dog is my life - even my family had asked about a plan for my mental health for when the inevitable does occur. My dog isn't young ... but if I saw it attacked to death.... I'm not sure what that would to me.
My dog NEEDS and DESERVEs to walk in the park -- so do I.
What would you do ? Just mace all their dogs as they charge us ???? Or a cattle prod (I'm already pricing those out) That's the next step sadly. And seems again the one responsible won't be bothered by it all. But me and the dogs will all be going home in worse states.
Not a happy easter morning here -- hope all of you had a better morning.
What would you do? It's an on leash only kids sports walking park - signs everywhere... but not enforced.
The last three weekends I have addressed the issue with the selfish pricks who continue to do this and they seem emboldened. The one by my house even turned loose his Malinois to attack us - Today I went full karen on them at the kids park we drove to hoping for some consideration as it has a playground. It was 7am - screaming so loud I hope the entire township woke up and heard me. His dog had no recall - was about 80lbs vs. my 20lb dog and charged across a soccer field to get us. He was so far from the owner we couldn't hear the owner calling him - or he wasn't even trying. I would bear spray the dog, but it seems unfair to the dogs. It will also blow back and cause reactions to me and my dog, not to mention the stress it causes us - which bring on an immune flare as I have CFS and it's a big trigger to have sudden stress like that. So now - instead of a mediational walk before family events ... I'm sick; literally. The walks are to destress us- but now it's the opposite. 23 years and this only became an issue in the last two years. I also think of worse things to do .. but again it's the dog that gets those punishments, not the owner. And won't resolve anything as they will just get another dog and do it again. I can usually scream enough to get the dog to stay back. Because of my screaming the dog stopped about ten feet from us and we took off the other direction. The owner hadn't even made a move to come toward us at all AND we had to go back where we came from because it was now the ONLY choice due to other off leash big dogs in the other direction. Those were ones we have confronted several times already - whose dogs also have no recall training. There is an off leash park less then five miles away - but they don't like that option. They are entitled to ruin anyone's else relaxing walk because they want what they want ... sadly these are all old men so far, not teenagers. Folks you think would have had plenty of time to learn about rules and respect. They have none.
Turns out this morning a person walking on the other side heard us and came to see if all was okay - despite my screams the dog kept running full speed at us so I got very loud - this person said they not only know the park comptroller very well - but is well aware of the off the leash dog owners who are there quite often and does know them by name.. Said they will make a formal report using their names. I have called and emailed about the issue but falls on deaf ears. So don't expect much to change. I did notice last year they put up Leash Law ordinace signs every 20 feet or so -- but signs mean nothing to narcissists.
What can I do to change this? Today I started to video it so I could at least make it public or share with the township, but wasn't able to record AND keep my dog safe once I saw we were being charged from an opposite direction as the off leash in front of us - so the phone was tossed aside in order to keep my pup from being tossed aside.
I feel we have no safe space to walk now - every where we go bad dog owners abound. This dog is my life - even my family had asked about a plan for my mental health for when the inevitable does occur. My dog isn't young ... but if I saw it attacked to death.... I'm not sure what that would to me.
My dog NEEDS and DESERVEs to walk in the park -- so do I.
What would you do ? Just mace all their dogs as they charge us ???? Or a cattle prod (I'm already pricing those out) That's the next step sadly. And seems again the one responsible won't be bothered by it all. But me and the dogs will all be going home in worse states.
Not a happy easter morning here -- hope all of you had a better morning.
What would you do? It's an on leash only kids sports walking park - signs everywhere... but not enforced.
