Latest off-leash dog excuse

sprout said:

I've found that some off-leasher's don't re-leash when I point out that my kids are playing in the playground nearby (although some move to another part of the park).

Taking out my phone to take their photo (or calling the Maplewood non-emergency number) tends to get a quicker response.

The self-entitlement drives me nuts. There's a couple that walks through my neighborhood in the evenings with their large unleashed dog and let it wander around exploring random yards as if it's no big deal. What happened to common courtesy?

I got attitude from a woman when her unleashed dog scared my then 2.5 year old son with some aggressive antics. I wasn't even that rude, think it was something along the lines of "get that thing out of here."

Oh, this was on the playground at the Marshall School.

Perhaps we could have the unleashed dogs play on the blankets and in the pool of the self-entitled people who claimed space at Maplewoodstock but didn't show up until after 6.

Not long ago, a woman got in line behind me at my local Starbucks in St. Louis with her dog. I told her she needed to take the animal outside, stat (like most patrons who keep their dogs tied up outside). Her response was, "but he's hypoallergenic," assuming that was my problem and assuming that would be the only objection anyone could possibly have to an animal in a place that served food. I whipped out my phone and said I was about to call the police. She said, "are you really going to call the police on me?" I started dialing and she high-tailed it. She should just consider herself lucky that the City of St. Louis a few years ago relaxed the relevant laws only as far as a change that allowed people to keep their pets (I'm not sure if that applied to any pets) with them on an outdoor restaurant terrace.

A woman with a baby in a stroller thanked me for my action.

You don't want to get me started on the dog-owners in my apartment building. Many dog-owners are responsible, but am I impressed by the conduct of the average dog-owner? No.

And another thing, I'm bothered by the conduct of the workers and management of my local Morebucks. They are reluctant to call transgressors on this -- I have asked them to, and it seems I am the one who has to step in (sorry).

project37 said:
The self-entitlement drives me nuts. There's a couple that walks through my neighborhood in the evenings with their large unleashed dog and let it wander around exploring random yards as if it's no big deal. What happened to common courtesy?

I'm in that same neighborhood and know that couple and their dog. And when I'm gardening out front and see them I have to move up the driveway because even the nicest dogs bite me. And the couple smile and wave, and move on with their unfettered animal.

I believe the before 9:00 am rule applies to a section of Prospect Park in Brooklyn but it does not apply to any of the Maplewood Parks.

The dog park in the reservation was created to combat the problem of off-leash dogs running loose in the Maplewood Parks. This "solution" worked briefly to reduce the number of off leash dogs in the parks but lack of adequate enforcement is causing this to grow into a real problem again. Some dog owners will leash their dogs on request, only to unleash them again as soon as you pass. Others simply refuse or reply with language not permitted on MOL. Unannounced spot enforcement at staggered times could work but now that we have no resident ACO, I am not sure who would be available to do this.

Calling the police because someone brought their dog into a Starbucks strikes me as being a bit over the top. The actual health threat from such a circumstance is pretty much zero.

It is still against the health code for a reason. The only likely exception would be for service dogs.

EBennett said:
Perhaps we could have the unleashed dogs play on the blankets and in the pool of the self-entitled people who claimed space at Maplewoodstock but didn't show up until after 6.

-- or in the canopy space of the people who were consuming alcohol under and around their canopy.

chopin said:
Not long ago, a woman got in line behind me at my local Starbucks in St. Louis with her dog. I told her she needed to take the animal outside, stat (like most patrons who keep their dogs tied up outside). Her response was, "but he's hypoallergenic," assuming that was my problem and assuming that would be the only objection anyone could possibly have to an animal in a place that served food. I whipped out my phone and said I was about to call the police. She said, "are you really going to call the police on me?" I started dialing and she high-tailed it. She should just consider herself lucky that the City of St. Louis a few years ago relaxed the relevant laws only as far as a change that allowed people to keep their pets (I'm not sure if that applied to any pets) with them on an outdoor restaurant terrace.
A woman with a baby in a stroller thanked me for my action.

You don't want to get me started on the dog-owners in my apartment building. Many dog-owners are responsible, but am I impressed by the conduct of the average dog-owner? No.
And another thing, I'm bothered by the conduct of the workers and management of my local Morebucks. They are reluctant to call transgressors on this -- I have asked them to, and it seems I am the one who has to step in (sorry).

Maybe a call to the board of health?

joan_crystal said:It is still against the health code for a reason. The only likely exception would be for service dogs.

Sure, but that doesn't mean any particular individual needs to themselves enforce the code, especially by calling the police! Entitlement works both ways. I'm struck by how often people who are confronted with bad behavior themselves behave badly--self-righteousness run amok.

imonlysleeping said:


joan_crystal said:It is still against the health code for a reason. The only likely exception would be for service dogs.


Sure, but that doesn't mean any particular individual needs to themselves enforce the code, especially by calling the police! Entitlement works both ways. I'm struck by how often people who are confronted with bad behavior themselves behave badly--elf-righteousness run amok.

Just keep your dog out of Starbucks, okay?

The police have never been willing to enforce the "leash" law in Maplewood.

Maybe you can try contacting them directly.

dr_matt said:
So in my attempt to preserve my aging and dodgy knees I run in our local parks. I have been driven from Memorial and Maplecrest by the distraction of dogs chasing me while running. I thought I had found a safe haven in perimeter of the soccer field of DeHart Park, but no, the other day another chasing dog. I pointed out to the owner that dogs should be leashed on all times and she claimed that it was fine for dogs to be off leash in Maplewood parks before 9am. In the hope that the dog owner reads MOL, I have pasted the relevent town ordinance below. No mention of any time defined exceptions to the ordinance. Going over to South Orange, where dogs are not allowed in parks at all, seems to be the only answer at this point. But isn't this so easy to solve? A week of police sweeps and few citations and this would disappear as problem. It is perennial topic on MOL, but does not have to be.

No person shall own, keep or harbor a dog in the Township except in compliance with the provisions of this article and the following regulations:

E.
Running at large. No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog shall suffer or permit it to run at large upon the public streets or in any public park, public building or other public place within the Township.
F.
Leashing of dogs. No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog shall suffer or permit it to be upon the public streets or in any of the public places of the Township unless such dog is securely confined and controlled by an adequate leash not more than six feet long.

I think the Starbucks discussion is off topic and distracting/detracting from the pervasive and disturbing issue of off-leash dogs in parks and on sidewalks. It was a problem when I lived in Maplewood near the Reservation and it is problem now, for example, when I take the train from Maplewood and want to sit in Memorial Park for a bit if I’m early. I don’t want to be near unleashed dogs in public places. I have a dog. He is leashed everywhere but in our fenced yard or our house. Manners (both canine and human) in dog parks are too variable to make them ideal recreational settings for him or us. He does get to run free at his various day care places, too.

As far as restaurants and farmers’ markets, jurisdictions vary; some use insurance/liability and some use health codes as the reason dogs aren’t allowed. It doesn’t matter; if they are not allowed, that’s th end fo the discussion. New York State is quite strict about no dogs being allowed in farmers’ markets for one reason or another, but leashed dogs are generally allowed at sidewalk tables at restaurants. Less familiar with NJ now but recall that dogs are an interseting addition to the Summit farmers’ market.

chopin said:
Not long ago, a woman got in line behind me at my local Starbucks in St. Louis with her dog. I told her she needed to take the animal outside, stat (like most patrons who keep their dogs tied up outside). Her response was, "but he's hypoallergenic," assuming that was my problem and assuming that would be the only objection anyone could possibly have to an animal in a place that served food. I whipped out my phone and said I was about to call the police. She said, "are you really going to call the police on me?" I started dialing and she high-tailed it. She should just consider herself lucky that the City of St. Louis a few years ago relaxed the relevant laws only as far as a change that allowed people to keep their pets (I'm not sure if that applied to any pets) with them on an outdoor restaurant terrace.
A woman with a baby in a stroller thanked me for my action.

You don't want to get me started on the dog-owners in my apartment building. Many dog-owners are responsible, but am I impressed by the conduct of the average dog-owner? No.
And another thing, I'm bothered by the conduct of the workers and management of my local Morebucks. They are reluctant to call transgressors on this -- I have asked them to, and it seems I am the one who has to step in (sorry).

If it makes you feel better, at a Starbucks in Hoboken I was told that I would either have to leave my Maltese (then a little 5lbs puppy) outside or put him in a carrier. He fit nicely in my pocketbook so in he went.
So they do seem to point out to dog owners, at some locations at least, that per the department of health, dogs can't be in the coffee shop unless in a carrier.

We have also a neighbor who let's their unleashed dog go out on its own. My issues are that the dog is allowed to go into people's yards and do his business, but I seldom see someone cleaning up behind him. In addition, our dog does not do well while on the leash when he sees other dogs. This has caused some tense situations where we had to literally pick up our dog and take him home to avoid a confrontation. Our dog is 10lbs and the other dog is significantly bigger, but our dog does not seem to realize it.

I have a wonderful, sweet BIG dog, who loves people but gets nervous around other dogs. I am able to walk with her within close proximity to other dogs that are being walked on leashes with no problem. She doesn't like getting too close, and I can manage that easily. She is a rescue, so I have no idea what her previous history with other dogs is like.

Over the years, we have had several nerve-wracking encounters with off-leash dogs. Mostly, when I see a dog off-leash, I change route quickly. I'm not happy about it, but it's what I have to do.

There have been a few occasions when an off-leash dog charges at my dog. It's impossible for me to tell if this is a playful charge or an aggressive charge, but my dog perceives it as a threat, and it pushes her to her limit. And its ugly.

She's almost 80 pounds, so I have to take a very strong, tight hold of her and try to get away quickly while using my body to create a wall before the charging animal arrives. All the while I am screaming at the owner to get the ** leash on the dog.

I never get the feeling that the owner thinks that this is his or her fault. Never an apology either.

People with unleashed dogs are so quick to say"they are friendly" but really that is beside the point. The power imbalance between leashed and unleashed dogs makes for difficult tense situations as post above illustrates. Dogs must coexist with other dogs , children , runners in parks and on streets and that is why leash laws exist .

Another trend of bringing dogs everywhere even crowded public venues like school drop offs, farmers markets, concerts,Halloween parades and even fireworks is just insane. There is a conspicuous look at me and my dog - like its a fashion statement and very little thought given to appropriateness and whether the venue is dog friendly, let alone allowed by law. (i.e at schools)

Unleashed dogs are annoying for sure. However....

dr_matt said:
So in my attempt to preserve my aging and dodgy knees I run in our local parks. I have been driven from Memorial and Maplecrest by the distraction of dogs chasing me while running.

I would reconsider running in Memorial Park. I live right off the park and run through it 5x week, and I haven't been chased by a dog in about 2 years. I don't think it's a consistent problem anymore.

It depends upon the time of day and the section of the park. Running in the area between Valley Street, Baker Street, the stream and Oakview Avenue in the early morning is still problemmatic.

In the summer months I run the entire park, including that location, between 5:45am-7am. I see the off-lease dogs, but none of them chase me (at least not recently).

dr_matt said:
So in my attempt to preserve my aging and dodgy knees I run in our local parks. I have been driven from Memorial and Maplecrest by the distraction of dogs chasing me while running. I thought I had found a safe haven in perimeter of the soccer field of DeHart Park, but no, the other day another chasing dog. I pointed out to the owner that dogs should be leashed on all times and she claimed that it was fine for dogs to be off leash in Maplewood parks before 9am. In the hope that the dog owner reads MOL, I have pasted the relevent town ordinance below. No mention of any time defined exceptions to the ordinance. Going over to South Orange, where dogs are not allowed in parks at all, seems to be the only answer at this point. But isn't this so easy to solve? A week of police sweeps and few citations and this would disappear as problem. It is perennial topic on MOL, but does not have to be.

No person shall own, keep or harbor a dog in the Township except in compliance with the provisions of this article and the following regulations:

E.
Running at large. No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog shall suffer or permit it to run at large upon the public streets or in any public park, public building or other public place within the Township.
F.
Leashing of dogs. No person owning, keeping or harboring any dog shall suffer or permit it to be upon the public streets or in any of the public places of the Township unless such dog is securely confined and controlled by an adequate leash not more than six feet long.

Are dogs really not allowed in parks at all in South Orange, even on leashes? Like I can't even walk my dog in a park? I think this is the second time I've read such a rule, which seems overly strict. If so, any idea what the reasoning behind it.

Definitely not allowed on Floods Hill, Grove Park or down by the duck pond - not sure if it applies to all parks. It's roundly ignored by everyone though.

Edit: I guess it's all parks

Being chased by dogs hasn't been a problem for me, but being knocked to the ground by somebody's "friendly" golden retriever running off-leash toward me at full tilt on Brookside Drive nearly put me in the ER. No apology from the owner, just a chuckle about how cute the dog was.

j_r said:
Being chased by dogs hasn't been a problem for me, but being knocked to the ground by somebody's "friendly" golden retriever running off-leash toward me at full tilt on Brookside Drive nearly put me in the ER. No apology from the owner, just a chuckle about how cute the dog was.

I'm pretty certain I've had similar run-ins with that dog. Ugh!