Enforcement of leash laws helps protect dog owners and the public.
Like many laws designed to protect the public interest, leash laws aren’t necessarily popular. Recently, stepped-up enforcement of leash laws in La Canada Flintridge’s trail system has gotten more than a few feathers ruffled in the community.
After receiving reports of dogs running off leash in violation of the law, the city turned to the Pasadena Humane Society for help. The Humane Society, which provides the city’s animal control services, responded by increasing patrols on the trails and in other areas. In turn, residents responded with more complaints to city officials. One resident even complained that taxpayer money was being wasted on the enforcement of a “bad law.”
It is hard to understand how anyone can consider a leash law a bad law. Leash laws offer protections for both dog owners and the public.
First of all, leash laws help protect dog owners from the liability issues that could result if their free-ranging dog were to become spooked for any reason and bite or otherwise injure someone. It is important to remember that any dog has the potential to bite under the right (or wrong) circumstances, and it is impossible for any owner to guarantee that their dog will not get into a situation where it might feel threatened enough to bite. Also, dogs do not get a “free pass” under the law for the first bite even if the dog has no history of biting the owner can be responsible for injuries it causes.
Secondly, leash laws protect the public from unwanted interactions with dogs. Many people do not like dogs and do not know how to act around them. They may approach a dog that is giving signals for them to stay away and get bit, or they may run when encountering a dog, inspiring the dog to chase them and perhaps even tackle or trip them.
While it is true that dog owners are not responsible for injuries caused by a person willfully provoking their dog, this can be a fine line to tread. It is far better to simply err on the side of caution and keep dogs leashed in all areas where they may encounter members of the public.
If you do have the misfortune to become injured by a dog, you may end up with significant medical expenses, especially if the bite was to the face and you end up needing treatments to correct scarring. You should definitely check with an experienced dog bite injury attorney to see if you might have a case against the dog’s owner, as this will enable you to get compensation for your medical expenses and your pain and suffering. Michael A. Kahn offers free initial consultations that you can use to get a general idea of the merit of your case.
