The one law everyone breaks–leash laws.
Bend, Oregon is a dog-friendly place with many trails open to bikers, walkers, runners and animals, but keeping dogs and people safe is key. Over the years, with leash laws that many don’t know about and ignore, more people are running into problems with off-leash dogs.
Bringing a leash is beneficial for both pet owners and dogs. Even loyal, well-behaved dogs can get distracted and run away. With all of the lost dog posters, no one would want to be the one to put those up. For non-aggressive and aggressive dogs, keeping them on a leash can prevent the death or injury of another dog or human.
“More than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the United States, and more than 800,000 receive medical attention for dog bites, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). At least half of those bitten are children,” said the American Veterinary Medical Association, proving so many things can trigger a dog that can be prevented by being on a leash.
Students around Summit have been bringing up that walking their dogs is much more of a danger than it used to be. Rooks Maxwell, a junior at Summit High School, spoke about how he runs into aggressive dogs all the time while he walks in the woods. Maxwell is also guilty of walking his dog off-leash, but he has never had any problems with his dog. His pet stays by him and is friendly to other dogs and humans but he is not a fan of running into an off-leash dog that could be dangerous.
The City of Bend Government Animal Control states, “Dogs are required to be controlled on a tethered leash inside the City of Bend, except in an approved Bend Parks and Recreation dog park or on private property with the property owner’s permission.” This law is in effect in almost every area where people walk their dogs, and indeed there is a fine of $275.
This not only goes for trails but also restaurants. Many people have been in a situation where they’re sitting outside eating and the family next to them has their dog off-leash. It’s running around and begging for food, licking legs and sometimes even jumping on customers, and the mom is 10 feet away yelling, “Cookie come back” or “Oh my gosh I’m so sorry she’s so silly.” The only answer many people can give is a fake smile and say “It’s okay, she’s so cute” and try to move on while Cookie goes and repeats the same process at each table at the restaurant. Bend has a lot of these outdoor hot spots and this is a common occurrence at all of them.
“It’s disrespectful,” says Jaron Jacobsen, one of the campus monitors at Summit. He’s not wrong. It’s disrespectful in restaurants and on trails. Whether your dog is hyper, aggressive or well-behaved, it’s not that hard to put them on a leash or take them out somewhere they are allowed to be off-leash, not somewhere it’s illegal. Even if you trust your pet, it’s a good habit and example because no matter how nice your dog is, something could happen. Everyone does it, but it’s time to make a change to protect the trails, protect your dog and protect yourself.
