In the Nob Hill and University neighborhoods one will see dogs off their leashes constantly, whether these dogs are with their owners or not, and one has to wonder why a dog owner would walk dogs without a leash, or just let them roam the streets.
Not all dogs are friendly, and not all dogs are safe to walk on their own, with distractions such as loud traffic, other animals and many other people walking around as well. All it takes is one small distraction for most dogs to go bolting into the street, whether they see a cat, another dog or some food they want making dogs unpredictable when it comes to having them off a leash and letting them roam.
The Nob Hill and University neighborhoods have become more congested, not only because of the constantly fluctuating student population, but also because of the revitalization of these neighborhoods to attract more people. As a result, these neighborhoods have more traffic than ever, especially on the weekends and in the summer.
People need to leash their dogs not only to ensure the safety of their own pets, but also to ensure the safety of other people and their animals as well. It is blatant neglect of other people and animals to let ones dog walk around without a leash, and can lead to a bad situation that cannot be undone.
Countless times people of the editorial board have picked up dogs that got out of their yards, or ran away from his or her owners because they had been spooked, and it just seems redundant that so many dog owners would be neglectful of their own pets.
The Chronicle board knows that sometimes dogs just get out, especially the ones that like to jump, but being a responsible pet owner means that one has to make sure that their dogs are in a safe and secure place while left unattended and to leash their dogs while walking them at all times.
The Chronicle board also knows that some people don’t like to put constraints on their dogs such as leashes, but when dog owners do this, they risk that their dogs could be harmed or could harm others, and it is not a viable reason to just let their dogs roam free.
During the month of June at Kinko’s on Central Avenue, a man parked his truck with two dogs in the bed and left them there unattended while he went inside. Not two minutes later, another man was walking his three dogs without a leash, and without a few seconds notice, all five dogs were running around the parking lot freely, causing havoc.
More than a few people were in their cars trying to leave and almost hit these poor dogs. It is this type of neglect that needs to be addressed because it could have been worse if people were not paying attention, and any one of these dogs could have been hit, being this occurred right on a major street in afternoon traffic.
The Chronicle cannot stress enough that poor judgment such as this is one of the reasons why people lose their beloved pets. This can be fixed by leashing or securing animals. So please, dog owners think before you let your dogs out as well as making sure your yards are secure, and put a leash on your dogs, for the safety of your pets and the safety of the community.
Editorial- Who let the dogs out
