Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Dogs in Madison

A recent dog attack in Madison has led to some increased attention on dog regulations and requirements.  As a person who spends time out on the road and about town on foot or bike, I've noticed that many people do not adhere to the requirement that dogs be on a leash or be fenced in.  Many mornings I'm confronted with a barking dog running out onto the street where I'm jogging.  I see people walking their dog and having it make a pit-stop, leaving a surprise souvenir for the yard owner.  I hear dogs whose owners apparently don't recognize how annoying their constantly barking dog is.  I see dogs chained in the yard with no visible water or food.  I don't think the new regulations will address all these things, but maybe it will help people recognize that owning a dog requires more than bringing it home and feeding it.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't know if you know/remember this but one year a college football player got drunk, went into someone's home and shot their dog.

You never saw any regulation of football players. If dogs had guns, this would be a different story.

John Nelson said...

Then the puppies would be playing cowboys and Indians with their toy guys, hollering "paw! paw! paw!"

Holli said...

Ugh. We just moved into our first home last week and discovered both neighbors have their dogs unleashed. They thankfully seem to be mild-mannered dogs and only outside for a few minutes at a time, but having a toddler (and plans for future small children) makes me uneasy about it. I hope the person who was attacked is OK and that some regulations get implemented and enforced in Madison.

John Nelson said...

It's always a shocker when people don't take responsibility for their animals, as though the animals in their care and control should be able to do whatever comes naturally. Pets need to learn to live among people.